Distant Past, Unmistakable Future
by East.Sea
Summary: Warning: almost completely and utterly AU. Chapter 14 FINALLY uploaded. Continued purely for the sake of those who have kindly requested.
1. Default Chapter

I know! To those of you who read the other version of this chapter, I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't like my older version..so I wrote another one. Anyways, here it is, the revised version...hope you enjoy!  
  
These are replies to those who reviewed to the previous version of the story:  
  
Zoea: I'm glad that you understood it, thanks for reading!  
  
Lady Blade WarAngel: *grins* Hope you like the second chapter.you're going to have to wait a tiny bit for the finding Kai part..it's not going to be an easy business.  
  
.. : Thanks for the review. I was rushing a bit when I was writing this and I mispelt quite a few words. (One of the reasons why I wrote another version) *sheepish* Hope it didn't make the reading too unbearable. And sure, I would like to know your name if you're willing to tell me.Lol.  
  
MysticDragon01: Thank you for your review.  
  
Kai Fan: Thanks for the compliment.here's the revised version.  
  
Now that's done! Here we go....let's get on with the story, shall we?  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
It was exactly four years ago from this day. There were no signs - no warnings. I never got a chance to ask him why. I struggled to find answers, and for weeks I was in denial.  
  
Now, I'm still searching for those lost answers - and for him. He told me, you see. That he and I would never be seperated. That he would never leave me like our parents did, from before I could even remember. That promise was important to me, and I would often need to recall upon the memory to reassure myself.  
  
I stared up at the sky and smiled, the stars were bright tonight. I guess I could deal with spending a few nights up in one of the trees in the park until I finish searching this area. The park was only a few blocks away and so I took my time - I had plenty of it to spare anyways. Halting by the sidewalk, I glanced carefully at the moon.  
  
I am Kesumi Hiwatari, I told the moon, lifting up my chin defiantly, and I am going to find my brother.  
  
Where are you, Kai? Where are you?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tenchi blew air through her teeth landing a firm kick onto the limp punch bag, statisfied as the leather material finally yielded and ripped apart. She frowned, cheap junk. She gave it no further thought and moved towards another one.  
  
"Tenchi?"  
  
She didn't respond, too immersed in her attacks to notice the intruder.  
  
"Tenchi."  
  
She sighed, "Yes Tala."  
  
Tenchi turned towards the corner from where the voice had come from, waiting expectantly for the speaker to continue.  
  
"What's wrong?" He slowly came into view, the dim lamps throwing oppressively dark shadows against his face.  
  
She ignored that also, firmly tugging at her hair into a bun before restarting her kicks and punches.  
  
"Tenchi!" Tala intercepted her next kick, wincing as the blow struck him across the chest. "Tala!" Tenchi grimaced, "What the hell did you do that for?"  
  
"Got you to stop, didn't it? You were hurting yourself." He staggered back before regaining unstable balance, allowing Tenchi to help prop him up against the wall.  
  
She shook her head, "Stupid idiot! I could've broken your ribcage or at least fractured it! Who knows if I haven't?"  
  
"But look at this." Tala reached for her hands, nudging them up against the light. Her knuckles were covered with blood and she looked down on them, surprised. "You failed to notice that you were hurting yourself?"  
  
His voice sounded so stern and worried that she bowed her head, feeling sheepish. "I was just.angry."  
  
"Doesn't take a genius to figure that out, now does it?"  
  
They slid down to the floor, Tenchi curling up into a ball on his lap as he placed his arms comfortably around her. She snuggled against him, shifting carefully so she wouldn't make contact with where he had been kicked. Tenchi winced, she shouldn't have been kicking so hard. "'M sorry."  
  
He nodded, "Don't worry about it." Pausing, Tala continued softly, hesitation laced heavily in his tone. "Tell me Tenchi. You know....what Boris said to you this morning?"  
  
She bit her lip, she hated keeping things from her brother..but if she told him the truth....  
  
Tenchi sighed into his shoulder; she already had too many things to worry about, and now this! But most importantly, how was Kesumi...or rather, did her search succeed? She cringed, if only if....he hadn't left. Kesumi would be here and he would be too. Maybe if he was here, then she wouldn't be facing this problem in the first place!  
  
But who was she kidding? Even if he was, what would he be able to do? Tala could probably do something. Tala and he were the favoured ones..the chosen two of Voltaire's classic diabolical scheme to take over the world. Biovolt needed Tala - especially now that they shamefully lost the World Championships..and him.  
  
She resented him for leaving them - Tala, her and Kesumi. He was Tala's best friend, Kesumi's brother.her secret crush. It was painful to think of that time..that day..the very last day that they saw him.....  
  
"I'm so tired! 11 laps around the Abbey is like - torture!" Kesumi moaned as she bent over her legs, rubbing a sore spot with her index and middle fingers pressed together.  
  
"Hey, you had 11 laps. But Kai and I had 13. What do you think about that?"  
  
Kesumi stuck out her tongue, "Then it's all the better for me."  
  
From behind her, Kai eneterd through the double doors leading towards the rec room, a damp towel strewn around his neck. Tenchi followed close behind, flinging at her long, auburn hair. "Arguing already? It's not even 8:00 in the morning."  
  
Kai flung himself down onto the armchair by Kesumi's, thwacking her playfully with his towel before grinning at her, impishly. "11 laps is nothing. You try that extra 2, it'll kill you."  
  
Tenchi shook her head from beside her brother, crossing her arms decidedly, "Kai, what are you whining about? You and Tala were grinning by the end of your 13th lap today. 13 laps isn't even a big deal, Boris always makes us do at least 20 if we need to be punished."  
  
Tala shrugged, "Kai and I said that it'll kill Kesumi, not the three of us."  
  
Kesumi pouted, "Hey!"  
  
"Well, you're the youngest, obviously. It makes sense!"  
  
"No it doesn't! I'm only two years younger than you two! And there's only one year difference between me and Tenchi!" A determined scowl knitted her brows as she poked the nearest person, "Kai! You big bully. And you too, Tala!"  
  
"Yeah Tala!" Tenchi swatted her older brother.  
  
Tala rolled his eyes dramatically, "Oh the simplicity of the mind when one is 11."  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Kesumi huffed, taking a long sip from her lemonade before putting it back down onto the coffee table arranged in front of them.  
  
"Who's idea was it to increase the amounts of laps by age anyways?"  
  
"One of the scientists down at the lab." Tenchi said, "Although, it's really stupid. I mean what were they thinking?"  
  
"That just proves the theory that scientists are really not above the average IQ as they all allegedly point out." Kai and Tala had moved towards the foosball table and were furiously going about their game while Kesumi watched with mild boredom. Tenchi wrinkled her nose in disdain, "Foosball? Grow up, guys!"  
  
On precise schedule, the breakfast bell gave a soft bling, alerting all trainees and members of the Demolition boys to head towards the main cafeteria. Kai, Tala, Tenchi and Kesumi took their time on deserting their current source of occupation before taking the flight of stairs to the private dining hall.  
  
Boris, Voltaire as well as Tala and Tenchi's uncle sat primly at their usual positions on the huge and quite obsolete size for a dining table. Boris positioned himself at the right of Voltaire as he sat on the northern end of the table, with Tala and Tenchi's uncle on the other.  
  
Tenchi walked gracefully upto her uncle, curtsied, and placed a gentle kiss on his temple. "Good morning." She said stiffly and waited as a servant drew her chair out for her. Tala stepped forward, gruffly nodding his head and quickly following his sister's example.  
  
Kai and Kesumi trailed in after them, paying their respects to their grandfather before taking to their chairs. On cue their private schedule managers stalked forward, announcing which classes and training they had first thing in the morning. "Master Kai: 9:00, Beyblade. Mathematics after a half an hour break."  
  
Kai rolled his eyes, tuning out James' droning voice. He remembered his Tuesday schedule like the back of his hand. Instead he let his gaze wander around the room, and he struggled to keep his chuckles under his breath. Tala was making faces at his schedule manager as he always did, occasionally blinking innocently as she stared down at him. Kesumi, on the other hand was conversing animatedly with her schedule manager.  
  
"Why do we have to take physical stuff? I mean I just had it already..running's enough, right?"  
  
"Training, Mistress Kesumi, is a - "  
  
"I've heard it before Maria! But then think about it this way, I could be using that time to do more useful things! Like...oh! How about drawing? Doesn't that sound nice?"  
  
Good thing that Voltaire was sitting far enough to make a distance between the stuttering woman and Kesumi. If his grandfather had heard such "nonsense" then Kesumi would've had her neck on a platter.  
  
Tenchi, as was expected, was listening respectively, nodding curtly every once in a while to show her attention hadn't yet wavered. She sighed, thrumming her fingers quietly over the surface of the oak table. Looking up, her eyes locked with Kai's and she smiled bashfully before turning away to hide the warmth in her cheeks.  
  
He watched her some more, cocking his head to the side to observe her secretly through the corners of his eyes. Slowly hiding his smile into his cup, Kai slid out of his seat and disappeared through the dining room doors - he didn't dare wave at his friends in front of his grandfather and Tala's uncle.  
  
Unnoticed to him was the pair of steel gray eyes that trailed him out the door, its owner's face stern and drawn. Voltaire drew his lips into a firm line as he paused a moment to survey the Tenchi girl. She was going to be trouble..Kai couldn't have any..distractions. No. He allowed himself a soft smirk, but there was a way. There was a way, indeed.  
  
~*~  
  
"English was quite interesting this morning. My tutour had a lot to say about the works Edgar Allan Poe. Math wasn't too bad either. I started algebra today."  
  
Kesumi cringed her nose, "Algebra? Not bad? What planet have you been on? And since when did Edgar Ellen Poe become interesting?"  
  
"Edgar Allan Poe, Kesumi. Not Ellen. Besides, I like English!"  
  
"Same thing! And sure you like English! You also like math, science, social - wait a minute! You like all the subjects!"  
  
Tenchi smiled, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."  
  
Kesumi gave a frustrated moan as she buryed her face into the pillows littering her bed sheets. Upon hearing Tenchi giggle, she looked up, perturbed. "I hate math."  
  
Her frown only deepened as Tenchi began laughing - she found Kesumi's sarcastic tone quite amusing.  
  
"Hey, girls!"  
  
"Tala! How were your classes?"  
  
"Easy. Fun. Boring. Dull. Basically the same as everyday. But," He paused, "Kai wasn't there."  
  
Tala's words had a sobering affect, and Tenchi blinked with curiousity, "What? Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah. His absence wasn't hard to miss, considering the fact that he is the only one I take lessons with."  
  
Kesumi propped herself up on her elbows, "Where could he have gone?"  
  
"Well, since our boundries are restricted - or rather, we're not allowed to go out of the abbey wall, the only choice would be...in the courtyard, training grounds or swimming pool."  
  
"Probably training grounds? Or he could be beyblading. Hm, or maybe grandfather asked to meet with him or something." Kesumi suggested, lifting out of her position and heading towards the door.  
  
"Where you going?"  
  
"To Kai. C'mon guys, let's go."  
  
The three maneuvered their way along the twisted corridors with ease, having to memorize all 73 halls as well as the 94 rooms and laboratories occupying the abbey's interior.  
  
"So where are we heading to?"  
  
Tenchi shrugged, "To Boris?"  
  
Tala nodded, taking a sharp turn to his left at the fork and raced up the next flight of stairs. Fewer doors littered along the walls as they went further down the halls, until finally they reached their destination.  
  
Reaching hesitantly up to the door, Kesumi placed three uncertain knocks onto the wooden surface, backing up quickly in case the door opened unexpectedly.  
  
"Come in." Kesumi jumped at the muffled reply, carefully turning the knob and peeking her head in. "Boris."  
  
"Ah, yes, Mistress Kesumi, how may I be of service to you today?"  
  
She flung open the door to its widest extent, admitting Tenchi and Tala in with her. Before she could continue, Tala cut in, "Kai. We're looking for Kai, do you have any idea where he is?"  
  
"Master Kai? Now, I wonder..where could he be?" He seemed to be toying with the idea of whether to keep a secret or to let it out. He was certainly enjoying this. Eventually, the latter choice had won and he began to speak again, "He seems to have left the abbey."  
  
The three gaped, eyes widening as the words suddenly began to slowly sink in. "Leave?" Kesumi repeated, she was flabbergasted, and bewildered, she could not believe what was being said to her. None of it.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure he mentioned something about it just this morning. I was wondering whether he had at least informed Master Tala, apparently not." Boris smiled, although crooked and cold; his eyes twinkled with a seemingly victorious glint that they swore wasn't there the day before.  
  
Tenchi bristled, seeing the stricken expression across her brother's face and spat, "You will need to elaborate on the details, Boris."  
  
"There's none left to say."  
  
Tala snarled, sending one last accusing glare in Boris' direction and stormed out of the office.  
  
"Oh my, Master Tala seems to be in distress."  
  
Kesumi bit her lip and squeezed the tears from her eyes as she weakly stumbled out of the room, in desperate search for any signs of Kai. She left; very much unaware of the fact that she had left Tenchi standing there alone, still very much rigid and unmoving. "Where? How? When?"  
  
He gave her a hard stare and replied, "Perhaps we may never know, now I'm sure that Mistress has some training and important activites she must participate in, than stay cooped up in my office all morning." He bowed, "Good day, Mistress Tenchi."  
  
She backed away towards the entrance - she knew a dismissal when she heard one, and she thrust her head in a regal stance. I will be back for more details later Boris, she thought to herself and took off down the hall.  
  
This couldn't be happening! Tomorrow would be Kai's birthday..why did he leave today? Why did he ever want to leave? Oh why? Why did he leave her, Kesumi and Tala?  
  
Amidst her distress, Tenchi managed to find her way back to her room, and flung herself carelessly onto her bed. She felt like a rag doll, with no power left in her to move with her own free will - as if controlled by strings that was firm and tight.  
  
She shuddered violently, and realized that she was crying.  
  
Kai Hiwatari, I'm going to find you, and I'm going to make you pay for making me cry.  
  
But even with a vengeful thought ringing like a vivid echo in her mind, Tenchi let out a helpless sob - I miss you Kai, and I hate you also. I hate you for making me like you, an I hate myself for liking you.  
  
Come back, Kai. Come back soon...........  
  
"Tenchi?" She lifted her eyes, cocking her head to the side to motion her brother to continue.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
She gazed at him fondly, nodding as she smiled. Tala will always be Tala. Sure he had grown taller, the centre of attraction to all girls whenever he went out of the Abbey, and a tad bit wiser, but he was still the same older brother she could depend on, and she liked that.  
  
Tenchi sighed wistfully, if only Kesumi could find Kai...if only she could get a chance to see him just one more time before...  
  
No, she had gotten over him years ago, years ago! That's right. "Well, then. I'm kinda tired so I'm uh going to lie down, okay?" She wriggled out of their comforting embrace to head for the door, only to be stopped by Tala's firm grip.  
  
"You still have to tell me."  
  
She sighed resingedly, glaring down at him with a mixture of annoyance and depression. "It's nothi - "  
  
"Tell me."  
  
Tenchi looked at him with her unwavering gaze, "Are you sure you can handle it?"  
  
His brows furrowed into a scowl as he nodded immediately. She looked away, "But the question is, if I will be able to handle it or not." His brows further deepened; the pain in his chest seemingly forgotten. "Of course you can. It can't be anything that serious - "  
  
"I'm betrothed."  
  
He blinked, "What?"  
  
"Betrothed, you know." She replied dryly, looking straight ahead and out through the window. Tala gaped: he'd never heard a more ridiculous statement before. Surely, she had to be kidding. He gave her expression a scrutinzing stare and realized with great shock that she was serious.  
  
"But you're - But you're only 16!" He exclaimed, his mouth unceremoniously opening and closing in succession. She bobbed her head to show her agreement as she hid her face from his view. For lingering minutes they didn't speak, too weary, and too devastated.  
  
"It's not fair, is it?" She asked, smiling meekly.  
  
"No. But it doesn't matter because I'm not letting that happen. I won't let them take you away, I promise."  
  
Tenchi looked up, flinging her arms around his neck, "I can't go."  
  
"You won't." He sounded so earnest, that she couldn't dare to be pessimsstic. Somehow, strange as it was, she felt - even for the briefest second - safe. Even though she knew her brother really couldn't do much about the situation, she believed.  
  
"I promise."  
  
She grinned into his shoulder, "Thanks Tala." With that, she let her head droop. Softly closing her eyes, she fell into a short, restless sleep.  
  
Tala stroked her hair affectionately, occasionally taking glimpses at her peaceful face and smiling grimly to himself. "Not you. They may have taken our parents away, Tenchi, but not you. You're my sister, and I don't know how I can bear living without you too."  
  
There, all done! Thanks for reading this chapter *looks at the chapter with disdain* I don't really like it so much, but REVIEW! Please, and tell me what you think! XD 


	2. Could it be?

DISCLAIMER: I hate doing this part.isn't it paaiinnnnfulllly obvious that I don't own beyblade? If I did, would I be writing a FANFICTION? I mean, I can write the plot of the original anime series, for heaven's sake! So yeah, it doesn't belong to me, but the plot does.and the OC's of course.  
  
Here is chapter two! I'm so proud! Lolz  
  
*Sigh* It's exam season, and normally I would be cracking the books at this hour.but heck! Give me a break! *Mumbles about inept teachers* And thanks to Mizu-Tenshi for reviewing..  
  
Oh yeah! One more thing, can fanfiction get anymore frustrating?! Now don't answer that, because I know how capable of being annoying it really is..but that's not my point. I tried to space out the other chapter as much as possible but ff just crammed it all up! So I apologize for the inconvenience it may cause you when you read..if you need something to blame; there's always ff......  
Chapter 2: Could it be?  
  
Tala thrummed his fingers impatiently on the glossy surface of the office desk, blowing air through his teeth to pass the time. Everywhere he looked was occupied by a piece of furniture polished enough to see your face as clearly as staring into a mirror. He grimaced, having nothing but your reflection as company was beginning to take its toll on him.  
  
The secretary, as prim and precise as she looked, was dead wrong when she had led him to his uncle's office to wait patiently for only about 5 minutes or so. 1 hour had passed and not even even a fly had buzzed about the room. The place was painfully quiet and he found himself desperate for the need of noise - any sort of noise.  
  
"Ah Tala. Good morning to you." He jumped, startled as he flipped around in his chair, almost tipping over in the process. Quickly, he regained composure, "Uncle, I trust that you had a pleasant morning yourself."  
  
Mr. Balkov nodded, settling gracefully down in the leatherbound armchair secluded behind the grand, oak desk. "Chocolates?"  
  
Tala raised an astonished eybrow, who was this, the Easter Bunny? He never dreamed to classify his uncle as the type to be handing out sweets - or even the one to be on the least bit of friendly terms with him or Tenchi. Mr. Balkov smiled; Tala shivered - and now his uncle was smiling? What in the world?  
  
Although it was clear that the grin didn't reach up to his eyes, Tala took this as a sign to speak, but was only interupted, "Have some, they're good. Specifically ordered from Belgum. I took a fancy to them some years ago."  
  
Tala smiled meekly, reaching tentatively for a piece of thickly covered chocolate and placing it into his mouth. He was careful not to swallow too quickly: who knew what kind of poison his uncle could've inflicted in it? He took a bite, crushing through the smooth layer and into the soft core. He wasn't used to such sweetness; junk food wasn't allowed in the Abbey.  
  
He swallowed the sugary contents and waited; he was still alive. Tala looked up, "I came to talk to you about something."  
  
Mr. Balkov nodded curtly, folding his hands and placing them on the desk. "I presumed so."  
  
"It's about Tenchi."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Yes well, about the - "  
  
"In six months, Tala. Six months."  
  
His crystal blue eyes widened,"Six months? But she's only 16!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why are you doing this to her!?" Tala bellowed, gripping the edge of the desk as if ready to turn it over. His uncle watched with cruel amusement, a grin overlapping his strict features. That smile again, it somehow seemed inhuman - as if it was never meant to belong there.  
  
"Shouldn't you know already? Afterall, the reason is simple." Mr. Balkov leaned forward, "The cause? You."  
  
Tala looked - felt stricken. Energy and anger drained out of him in one swift motion, leaving him bare and empty. He shook his head, "Impossible!"  
  
"I assure you.that there is no mistake. I had high hopes riding on you Tala. But something had always been in the way, making it unnecessarily hard for me to administer my training methods into you. So I had no choice but to remove that distrubance from my sight. I'm sure you've figured out by now that that interference was none other than your sister."  
  
He blinked, gripping at his chest to remind himself to breathe.  
  
His uncle continued, "I have other plans for Tenchi, yes. She has the Balkov blood running through her as well. We must put that into good use. But right now, we need you to forget.about love.caring.your sister. Just remember, it's you that brought this situation onto her shoulders. You who forced her freedom to be shortlived, and you who brought misery to her. So when you see her cry, don't forget, it's all your fault."  
  
Tala fervently shook his head, tearing through the room in desperate strides before bursting through the door, then letting it fall back into its frame with a sickening crack.  
  
Mr. Balkov calmly picked out another piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. "Soon Tala, soon. You and Kai will be the head of our army.the invincible two that Biovolt all so very needs to regain its power."  
  
~*~  
  
Tala ran a frustrated hand through his hair, cursing loudly as he looked scornfully out the window. Your fault.your fault.your fault.He couldn't help but feel excruciating guilt, the kind that started at the pit of his stomach and grew with fervor. Your fault.your fault.your fault.  
  
"The Abbey, sir." He looked up, staring blankly into his chauffeur's face as he stumbled through the door being held open for him. "Thanks Hugh."  
  
He looked down expectantly to his feet, satisfied as they carried him towards the grounds where he knew that the rest of the Demolition Boys and Tenchi would be training. He halted at the edge of the field, stepping unconsciously into the shadows for protection from the deep rays of the summer morning. The scenery was eerily calm, except for the bustling activity out on the grounds where he could spot his teammates running laps.  
  
He spotted Tenchi in the lead, running steadily and easily as if moving along with the comfortable breeze. "Master Tala."  
  
Tala didn't bother looking up, the voice was well heard and familiar to him, not that he was any fond of the speaker.  
  
"I have been informed that you were away from the Abbey to visit Master Balkov this morning. Therefore, punishments will not be severe. In fact, I will relieve you of your punishments altogether. Now please join the rest of the group, Mistress Tenchi was anxious to see where you had gone."  
  
"No."  
  
"Exucse me?" Boris' voice cooled over, leaving a trail of ice ringing in his ears.  
  
"I said, no. Don't make me repeat myself."  
  
There was no response, but he knew that Boris was fuming; he smirked with satisfaction. "No, I will not make you have to repeat yourself. But I will have to take disciplinary matters into my own hands, seeing as the young master seems in great need of it."  
  
Tala didn't care, neither did he struggle as two pairs of arms clamped around his own. What were a couple more beatings than the usual amount? His eyes gave a quick glance towards the fields once more, startled as he realized that Tenchi had been watching the whole time. His stomach clenched and he couldn't help but look away......  
He opened his eyes slowly, waiting for the blurry masses of colour to settle into focous. Only two words could describe such a place that lay before him: torture chamber. He shifted, suddenly aware of the cold brick wall behind him against his bare back. Chained up to the wall again, how classical.  
  
Blood ran down in streaks across his face, the rest of his body covered in a sleek layer of sweat and marks left from the torture that had occurred only minutes before. They had left him to wallow in pain, but they will be back for him soon. He turned his gaze towards his friend, not in particularly a better predicament than he. "Hey."  
  
His own voice rang out, soudning so forgein and cracked, that he had to clear his throat profusely to get access to better sound. "How're you holding up?"  
  
"I've been better. So I forgot, why are we in here again?" His friend lifted his head, blowing away a tuft of hair that fell into his eyes.  
  
"I think it was because we were laughing in the halls today. We shouldn't have been talking so loud. But really, do they have a reason? They just want to teach us to never forget that cruelty and discipline is man's best friend." His voice was mocking.  
  
"I thought dogs were supposed to be a man's best friend. Shows what they know, huh?"  
  
He laughed, something that he was never allowed to do, and he somehow thought he'd forgotten how. It wasn't an easy thing - laughing or smilng, it was kept forbidden to him ever since he could remember. Being compassionate and caring wasn't taken lightly either - he learned that all too early in his childhood.  
  
"I wonder how Tenchi and Kesumi are doing."  
  
He looked up, any signs of joy displayed in those few seconds quickly dissipated away. "Fine, I'm guessing." Hoping.  
  
"They're in the other chamber. I can hear Kesumi..she's crying."  
  
They both avoided each other's eyes, staring bluntly ahead to keep from cringing. Expressing emotions were something else they had been forbidden to do.  
  
The door creacked open and they didn't bother to identify the intruders; they knew that they were going to be under another hour or so of more discipline. As the stick cut through his chest, he bit his already bleeding lips. He was so numb with pain. "See you alive Hiwatari."  
  
It was an effort to look up, but when he did, his mahagony gaze locked with his best friend's crystal blue. Flashing him an amused glance, he replied, "Sure Tala, sure."  
  
"KAI!"  
  
He burst awake into a sitting position, gasping and panting for breath. His head turned sharply, acknowledging his teammates with a weary stare. "What?"  
  
Ray leaned forward, concern evident in the way his lips were drawn into a firm line. "Are you okay?"  
  
His eyes snapped fiercly, "Of course I am."  
  
Max and Kenny fidgeted, and for once in his life, Tyson was silent. "You can tell us, Kai. We're here for you."  
  
"I'm fine." He lifted out of his position, swiftly making his way into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.  
  
"I'm worried." Kenny mumbled; Kai was acting so strangely. He'd been having nightmares about - about - something - ever since their trip to the Abbey. Of course the dreams hadn't been consecutive, as far as they knew, but every once in a while, Kai would be uttering words under his breath as he tossed and turned well into the night.  
  
They had actually taken shifts to try and make out what he was saying in his sleep, but nothing had come out of it. Dismayed, the boys had reluctantly begun inquiries, but Kai avoided the subject completely. It had been three, long years since the European tournament. Three, long years since they had left the Abbey and learned a bit more of Kai's past, and three, long years in which Kai had to endure these visions that plagued his dreams.  
  
Yet not once had he mentioned about them to the Blade Breakers. Their eyes lingered on the closed door that connected the hotel room to the bathroom - yes, Kai had managed to close the door in front of their outstretched hands once again.  
  
~*~  
  
Tala woke up some time later, drenched in sticky liquid that he assumed to be his own blood. He grimaced; he had spent half an hour gelling his hair that morning! He closed his eyes again: there was nothing to look at afterall. He had memorized each crack in the wall, and every small crevice in the stone bricks. Spending most of his childhood in this particular dungeon even more than his own room, had given him lots of time to look around.  
  
Yes, he and Kai had been disciplined here - attempted child murder is what he used to call it - and they had often thought of this place as their room.  
  
"My, my. Master Tala, you seem to be in a serious wreck. How are you feeling?"  
  
He grit his teeth, but managed to nonchalantly toss his red hair out of his way of vision. "Great, never been better."  
  
"You sure spend a lot of time in here."  
  
Tala rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Let's just paint a nice big sign that says 'Tala's torture chamber' and hang it against the door, now shall we? Oh yeah, and could we get some wallpaper in here? This gray bricks are putting a real damper to my good mood."  
  
Boris ignored the heavy sarcasm. "Are we ready to behave?"  
  
He laughed, finding this situation incredibly funny and familiar - wait, maybe that's because they had this conversation every time he was chained in here. Boris would say something foul, he would counter it, Boris would ignore that - although in truth, it did really piss him off, and say, 'are we ready to behave?' or 'that's no way for a disciplined man to hold himself.' Then Boris would go out of his way by repeating the sentence he'd been taught ever since he could talk, 'cruelty and discipline is man's best frined.'  
  
Tala would always have 'bull shit' running through his mind every time Boris recited the infamous speech, and those same words ran through his head once again.  
  
"I've heard it all before Boris, and really, it's not appealing to me anymore." Not that it ever did in the first place.  
  
"Well then, I have no choice." With that, his trainer left the room, sweeping the air with his scent of rotten garlic and onions. From the shadows emerged cloacked figures, and he knew it had begun once again. As his back took another lash from a whip, he knew immediately that this was going to be one heck of a long day.  
  
~*~  
  
Kesumi clucked her tongue impatiently as she waited for her hamburger over the counter. The line up was long - longer than long, but she had finally managed to make her order and all she had to do now, was wait. "Here's your order."  
  
She frowned, muttering a 'finally' as she grabbed her burger and drink before stalking out of the fast food restaurant. Her steady walk carried her towards the nearby park at a quick pace, and when getting there, she spotted a vacated bench to rest her legs. Pulling out her lunch, she took a sip of cold coke before taking a bite out of her McChicken.  
  
"I know! I've never really loved Beyblading. But the world champions are way too cute to ignore!" Kesumi turned her head towards the voice, continuing to eat as she watched a group of girls strolling down the path in which the bench was situated by.  
  
"The Bladebreakers have been the world champions for 3 years running! How cool is that?"  
  
"Duh, not to mention that the team leader is a major hunk!"  
  
"Ray too! His amber eyes are like so cute!"  
  
She rolled her eyes; could they get any sappier? 'Oh he's so cute!' 'No he's hotter!'  
  
Puhleeeez!  
  
"Max and Kenny are baby cute, don't you think? But hey, if you want the world's most hottest celebrity, it's gotta be Kai!"  
  
Kesumi choked on her coke. Spluttering, she scooted closer to them for any further mentions of 'Kai.' But what would her brother be doing as a celebrity? It didn't make sense. As far as she knew, he couldn't act a scenerio even if it meant that his life depended on it.  
  
Still, she kept attentive.  
  
The rest of the girls giggled in agreement, walking past Kesumi without even knowing that she was sitting there. A paper fluttered by her feet - it seemed to her like it was a page ripped out of a magazine. She picked it up, the girls must've dropped it as they passed.  
  
Clumsy air heads.  
  
She cocked her head as she reached forward to pick it up, cautiously flicking it over to see what they were giggling about. Her fingers fumbled briefly, and the paper fell back to the ground; it's contents facing up. She gasped.  
  
It was a cover of a magazine, with the word 'Celebz' stylishly etched across the front. But that was not what had surprised her so, for on the very centre was a group of five boys. One with ebony black hair, two with shaggy blonde, the fourth with navy blue and finally the fifth that was leaning casually against the wall.the one with startling mahagony eyes and slate blue hair that fell softly into his eyes: someone that she could only conclude to be as.....  
  
"Kai..?"  
I'm all done! Finished! Bit of a cliff hanger, isn't it? *grins evilly* Hope you enjoyed this chapter..but remember to review: you're comments mean so very much to me! 


	3. To an Unknown Destination

DISCLAIMER: Plot & OC = mine. Beyblade = ? Not really sure actually...  
  
Well, special acknowledgement to my Mizu-Tenshi, who's been incredibly nice to give me feedback.*Hugs Mizu-Tenshi* Oooooh! Thank you for the encouragement! Lolz, yes, I needed that. And thanks to Kayumi, Lis, Ariana and Angela for reviewing!! Here's the 3rd chapter..I was away on vacation so I wasn't able to update - not that people care or anything! *grumbles* - but it's just a little bit of a reasurance that I haven't quit this story, you know?  
  
Chapter 3: To an Unknown Destination  
  
"Korea, here I come! I mean - we." Tyson waved frantically in the direction of their admiring fans, lined up to get a better peek at the stars. Only mere minutes had passed since they had appeared through Gate 12, when a throng of banners, cameras and screaming people were shoved against their faces.  
  
The rest of the boys had already rushed into the sanctuary of their limo, rolling up the tinted windows so that they're faces wouldn't be exposed to the media. Kai let out an annoyed sigh, regarding Tyson with an expression that could be described with none other than disgust. "Balloon filled air head."  
  
Max, Kenny and Ray gave small chuckles, shaking their heads with similar exasperation. "Doesn't he get tired of waving? His hand must be losing a lot of blood for being in the air like that."  
  
"Says you!"  
  
They all turned around as the last member of the Blade Breaker team slid through the back door being held open by their chauffeur. Looking very flushed and extremely pleased with himself, Tyson picked up the nearest cup of lemonade. Putting the lip of the cup to his mouth, he guzzled the liquid down quickly, spluttering and choking.  
  
"The lemonade's too sour!"  
  
They all shrugged, taking sips of their own to find that the drink was perfectly normal. "Mine's good."  
  
"Yeah me too."  
  
"Must be the aftertaste of that kimchi or something. Korean food sure tastes spicey, but mouth watering." Tyson declared, kicking off his shoes and leaning leisurely into his seat. "So when are we going to the stadium? I want to check out our team locker rooms and stuff."  
  
Kenny peered into his laptop, tapping the screen with the back of his fingers. "First of all, kimchi isn't supposed to have an after taste. And it says here, that we're to have the locker room in the South wing. #109." He looked up, his glasses falling down a notch from the bridge of his nose. "We're going to have the tour of the stadium the day after tomorrow."  
  
"Really? In that case, let's par-tay! We can go around the city, looking at sites and - "  
  
"Training."  
  
"Aww c'mon Kai."  
  
"Tyson, we're here for the tournament, remember? We're not here to joke around."  
  
Before the puffing teen could argue further, Kenny cut in once more, "Kai's right. We'll need lots of training. It appears to me that we have some company."  
  
The rest of the group leaned forward, craning their necks to have a view of what the chief had been keenly reading on the computer screen. "The Demoliton boys - they're here."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Jason! Keep it steady!"  
  
Tenchi cocked her head to the side, watching the young abbey trainees bey battle amongst each other. "Kevin, take control. Make sure you be careful when you manuvere, you know you're not too strong in that area."  
  
She leaned casually against the wall, resting her head onto the cool surface while her calculating eyes never left the battle scenes playing out below her. The bell rang, signalling the end of training for that hour, and Tenchi spoke through the microphone chip hanging around her neck. "Okay guys, break time."  
  
A swarm of kids pounded their way up the stairs to the platform on which she stood, all wearing proud faces. "How'd I do Tenchi?"  
  
"Yeah, what about me? I won, did you see?"  
  
"I did it Tenchi! I beat Ryan twice today!"  
  
She chuckled softly, "I saw all of you. You were all very good."  
  
"So will we be able to bey battle in the junior competition in Korea?"  
  
Tenchi stiffened, her smile fading unnoticeably from her face, "Sorry Andrew, she stroked the boy's raven black hair affectionately, "only 4 of you will be going to Korea. I wish I could let you all go."  
  
"So who will it be? And is it really true that we'll be able to see the Demolition Boys? We all know that you're sort of a member of the team...but we haven't seen anyone else yet."  
  
"Yeah, I can't wait to meet Tala. He's so cool, I'm gonna be just like him when I grow up!"  
  
Tenchi had to laugh, remembering Tala's face when she told him how the little boys admired him. "Me?" Tala had said, "Naturally."  
  
"Well don't go around telling him that. He just might get a tad bit inflated in the head." Only the older ones of the group got that, smiling softly as they took their place around her.  
  
The boys had gotten attached to her, and she to them. As their trainer, and a sister-like character, she had tried to encourage the boys not to fall under Boris' 'show no mercy' training methods. But the older ones had already been infected, already been hurt - and emotionally scarred as all the people in the abbey were.  
  
But she was determined to keep the younger ones protected.  
  
A sudden urge of panic rose at the pit of her stomach: she wouldn't be able to protect them for long. In six months, she was going to leave the abbey, the boys, her friends, her brother...to a complete stranger that could offer her nothing but money. But she had plenty of that to spare, and therefore had no more need of it. Her eyes swept the walls and spotted the clock, as if timing her departure. She was to leave in exactly 5 months and 25 days from now. Time was running out for her - fast.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Her slate coloured hair bellowed out behind her as she watched the peaceful sunset. Splashes of oranges and reds showered the sky with its vibrant blooms, mixed with smudges of pale yellows and pinks. Calm clouds littered above, reflecting the colours of the very sky itself.  
  
In the middle of all that was the grand yellow sphere that was sinking lower into the sea, disappearing amongst the wavering waves. She sighed, the ship she had taken should arrive in Korea's harbour in a few days. Her stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation, but she bit down on them, hard.  
  
What if Kai wasn't there after all? What if it was just rumours that the Blade Breakers were going to the Korean Tournament? What if the Kai Hiwatari in the international team wasn't Kai Hiwatari? She cringed at her thoughts, Kai Hiwatari wasn't Kai Hiwatari? Now she was just panicking.  
  
Gulping down fear and apprehension, she settled carefully on the dock, watching the remainder of the sunset in complete silence, with nothing but the waves below her to console her overwhelming fears.  
  
~*~*~*  
  
Tenchi bit her lip as she surveyed the clutter of downcast faces, cringing visibly. She had read out the names of those that will be allowed to compete in the tournament, and as she had suspected, the number of disappointed and heartbroken expressions were high.  
  
"I'm sorry guys. But we'll be leaving soon, and I'm s - "  
  
"Yes, boys. Those of you who have been selected, will be boarding the Plane today. Of course our destination is Korea," There he paused to give the chosen group a long stare, "and the junior championships."  
  
"Absolutely not. Our destination is Korea, indeed! But definitely not the championships. It may be our goal to win - and we should strive to achieve it, but it is NOT mandatory." Tenchi bristled, her crystal blue eyes burning with rage - something that Boris hadn't often seen.  
  
He lowered his gaze respectfully under her intense glare, "Yes. Do try your best."  
  
With one last burning look, she whipped around, ushering the rest of the dispirited boys to their next classes of the day. Boris turned around to face the ones chosen, once positive that she wasn't within hearing range, "Your quest begins here boys. It is to win...or to lose, and forever become a loser. There are no room for mistakes."  
  
He leaned forward to one boy, almost nose to nose. Something about him.was so familiar. "What's your name, boy?"  
  
"Andrew Sawata, sir."  
  
"Well Andrew, you've made it this far, haven't you?" He leered, and to his surprise, the boy did not flinch or even blink. Boris frowned, carefully observing him. The fire in his eyes, the arrogance and pride, the skill and determination, the will power and self discipline, and perfection.  
  
Boris drew back sharply. He knew now why this boy was so familiar..those eyes...there was only one other who could hold himself like this boy could..with so much dignity and power. It could've only been..the Phoenix, his former apprentice, and the heir to Biovolt, Kai.  
  
"Bring your bags down immediately. The plane will leave with or without you." He whirled on his heel, his black cloak bellowing out behind him as he stalked through the door. He was definitely going to have to pay close attention to Andrew Sawata.  
  
Halting by his office to collect the Demolition Boys, he paused with his pale fingers grasped around the door knob. A slow smirk appeared at the corners of his lips, Sawata indeed! Biovolt now had three very important things that could lure the Phoenix back: Tala, Tenchi...and his little brother.  
I'm done my third chapter! YAY~ But it's shorter than the others..really short. *shrugs* Well thanks for reading, and since you did, maybe you could leave a review? That would be nice.. 


	4. Where are you now?

Okay, I'm updating once again....my fourth chapter, can't believe I got this far! Lolz. This is actually based on some personal experiences in my visit to Soeul.. Anyways, I think replies to some reviews are in order here, so:  
  
Mizu-Tenshi: you're reviews and encouragements have kept me going! Lol, thanks a bunch.  
  
Silver Angel: Thanks for the review, and sorry it's taking so long to update..  
  
Where Are You Now?  
  
Finally the uneasy ship ride was over, and she could have the luxury of touching solid land once again. Her stance felt unnatural, which was natural really, after having to spend days on a constantly wavering cruise liner, and she grapsed onto railings to hold herself upright.  
  
Kesumi looked up for the first time to see Korea, with people and trees milling in an endless stream around the harbour. Turning her head, she faced the ocean, a scenery which would've normally locked her breath within her throat, did nothing to please her right then. Too tired and seasick to notice the outstretch of beautiful water, she bit her lip, staring pleadingly out into the crowd.  
  
Where was she exactly? And how did she get to Soeul? Annoyed, she raked her brain for any recollection of - anything at all. But her mind was blank, and the only thing that she knew was that this was not Soeul. Okay, breathe Kesumi, breathe! You can do this.  
  
She looked around for a telephone booth. Or even an information counter by the sidewalk - no that was unlikely...possibly police officers or....she sighed. Can life get anymore complicated than this?  
  
Standing there in the middle of the sidewalk, being jostled to and fro by travellers made her feel as if she was placed on a boat again. So she hastened her move towards a peaceful area, and slid slowly onto an available bench.  
  
It was already getting dark, and she had the sinking feeling that all her efforts to find her brother had been of entire vain. Sighing deeply, she started walking down the now empty streets, feeling as if she was wandering aimlessly with no specific purpose.  
  
She'd just have to take it at a step at a time..so her current destination: to find a hotel.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh wow! Incheon Airport kicks ass!" Andrew whispered fervently into her ear, and she couldn't help but grin at his excitement.  
  
Tenchi had her bag already claimed and loaded onto a cart, accompanied with the rest of her trainees' luggages. The plane trip had not been pleasant, despite the exceptional service and food they served on the airline. Many hours of continuous flight had been enough to fully lock her bones into a sitting position.  
  
"It does have some great technology, doesn't it? Not to mention that it's impeccably maintained." The rest of the boys agreed, pointing from left to right, and grinning widely.  
  
Tala and the rest of the Demolition boys were walking gruffly, faces scrunched up into bitter grimaces. Tenchi rolled her eyes, those sourpusses.  
  
"Oh come on guys, it wouldn't hurt you to smile!" She tossed ahead, beaming innocently as they turned to face her. "Well, we would if the plane trip hadn't been so freaking long. But it'll be worth it when I see my adoring group of fans."  
  
Ian smirked, quickening his pace towards the exit.  
  
"That is if you have any." He stopped short, glaring at Tala, who in turn merely stared back, surpressing the spread of a playful smile.  
  
"Right, and you have many."  
  
Tala shrugged nonchalantly, and was just about to reply no doubt, when Kevin - one of their security guards stepped forward.  
  
"We'll be taking another route to avoid any awaiting fans and media. Please, follow me"  
  
Ian fell into step beside the taller red head, a mock expression on his face, "Too bad you won't be able to see your fans, huh Tala?"  
  
He nodded solemnly, "How the girls will be so disappointed."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kesumi stopped in the middle of the road for the fifth time that hour, and was now positive in saying that she had lost her sense of direction. On second thought, she hadn't had a sense of direction in the first place.  
  
Night had fallen already and the streets were illuminated by an orange glow, radiating from the many lamp-posts secured around the streets. The stars above were dancing in their silver mists, surrounding the pale moon that hovered in the sky. The distant shadow of the mountain, shivering of forgein shaped leaves, and swaying of sturdy branches alerted her to stop and observe her surroundings.  
  
Kesumi cocked her head to the side; she always thought that Korea was a busy and crowded place. How wrong she was. She had been told that Soeul and other majour cities were hectic places, full of pollution - places that never sleep, people had said. But towns and areas that were seperated away from the citites were the exact opposite.  
  
It was a shame that she had to leave such a beuatiful place.  
  
With her hands placed into the tattered pockets of her jeans, and head bowed to watch the ground, she let her mind drift off. It wasn't until she was stumbling back, did she realize that she had accidentally bumped into something.  
  
"I'm so sorry! I didn't - " She stopped herself in mid sentence, rubbing at her head where a fresh bruise was starting to form. Obviously they wouldn't understand what she was talking about !  
  
"Hey, that's okay. I wasn't watching where I was going either."  
  
"I hope you're not hurt or anything...wha - what did you say?" Kesumi's head snapped up, staring bewildered into the face of a girl, who she could assume to be around her age. This person had spoken english, right? English!  
  
"You, oh my gosh! You can speak english!" She scrambled upwards, never so glad to see a person as much as she did now.  
  
The other girl laughed, "Why yes I can! I'm Sora Branch. You?"  
  
"Kesumi Hiwatari." She held out her hand, and Sora took it, both girls beaming.  
  
"So Kesumi, you lost? Where are you staying at?"  
  
She smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I'm not sure. Do you happen to know where a nearby hotel could be?"  
  
"A nomad, huh? Me too. I'm thinking of moving to Soeul, you know? Tons of work and stuff there. Where are you heading off to? Or are you just planning to stay here?"  
  
"Me? I'm going to Soeul too. I really have no idea where "here" is anyways." Kesumi gave her new acquaintance a sideways glance. It felt akward to be talking to someone. She had always been used to walking down streets alone, longingly staring at groups of laughing people, wanting to be a part of them.  
  
But she knew it was impossible, she had a mission.  
  
"Well then! We can go to Soeul together! I'm planning to take the plane there you know, it's a morning flight, about a week from now. How about it?"  
  
Kesumi blinked, surprised at the invitation. Should she go along with this girl? But Sora was a stanger, she had just met her! Kesumi bit the inside of her mouth, the way she always did when she was trying to make an important decision.  
  
Is she trust worthy?  
  
How do I know if she isn't sent by Biovolt to lure me back?  
  
Isn't it a bit of a coincidence that she just happened to meet a girl, who just happens to be travelling too, and just happens to be going to the same place as she was? And wasn't it - she stopped herself. This was getting ridiculous.  
  
Before her conscience could get the better of her sanity, she blurted, "Sure!"  
  
Sora nodded, smiling brightly. "It's settled then. We're off to Soeul together."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Look at all these apartments and buildings!" Max cried, a hand arching over his eyes to shield them from the rays of the morning sun. He squinted through the gaps in his fingers for a view of the countless structures that stretched so high into the sky, they seemed to have no limits.  
  
"The streets and sidewalks are so busy! It reminds me of Tokyo."  
  
Surrounded by security guards, the Blade Breakers leisurely toured around Soeul. Their guide was walking ahead, conversing rapidly with the Chief. Apparantly Kenny had taken up Korean.  
  
"So how do you say good morning and other greetings such as...oh is that how you say it? Interesting.."  
  
It had been about a week or so since their arrival at Incheon Airport, and they were too busy getting settled in, that they had absolutely no time of their own until today. Which was why they had chosen a guide to take them around, but it wasn't complete freedom. It never was, really. Too many tall dudes in dark suits, was how Tyson had put it, always watching and observing each step they took.  
  
Plus the time zone change had put a real damper to their moods.  
  
But with all those complaints put aside, the Blade Breakers were immensely pleased with the accomodations and surroundings in which they had been given.  
  
"Wait! Tell me, where's the nearest washroom?" Everyone turned around, surprised at the sudden outburst as Tyson flung down his bottle of - some sort of soda beverage that he had gotten quite fond of - and tossed it towards Kenny, who fumbled desperately before catching both laptop and bottle in each hand.  
  
"You can use the one in the Lotte Mall over the - " The guide had hardly finished her reply, when Tyson was already halfway across the street, all too dangerously unaware of the streams of honking and screeching of tires.  
  
"Guess he had too much of that stuff, huh? Wonder why he drinks it so much?" Max took the bottle from Kenny's grasp, shrugging curiously as he brought it to his lips.  
  
"Hey, this is good!"  
  
"Never mind that, we need to go after Tyson, who knows how lost he's going to be in there?" Ray pointed out, his gaze trailing over the towering building, 9 or 10 stories high. "How many bathrooms do you think will be in there? And which one will Tyson be in?"  
  
Kenny groaned, "Come on guys, let's go."  
  
By the time they had tracked him down, Tyson had only gone through the main entrance, panting from exhaustion. "Malls here are way too big, what's the deal anyways?"  
  
"Well, each story in the malls around Soeul have a department it is in charge of. For example: If you wanted to find electronics, you would find it to be the on 5th floor, in this mall, and everything on that floor would be dedicated to electronic related products." The guide pointed toward the directory on an intricately designed wall, that was conveniently placed beside an elegant - not to mention expensive - looking elevator.  
  
"Oh, wow. So if we want to go to - "  
  
"KENNY! Not the time now! Where is the bathroom!" Shoppers around them passed with curious stares, before turning around to go about their normal businesses.  
  
"We'll ask the attendants." Dressed in identical uniforms, two women stood by the enormous glass doors, greeting everyone that entered. The guide was already making her way to one of them, talking softly in Korean, something which Kenny listened with fascination.  
  
"There is one on the first floor - this floor. Go straight down this way, and turn left. There will be a silver plaque against one of the walls that will direct you to the washroom." The guide shook her head, Tyson was out of sight and gone.  
  
"Ready to follow him again?" Ray asked, blowing air through his teeth.  
  
Kai cut in, voice sounding extremely clipped and annoyed, "Stop the chattering and let's continue, we're going to lose Tyson if we don't."  
  
"Aww, didn't know you cared, Kai."  
  
"I don't. I just don't want him to make a fool out himself; his reputation, unfortunately, can ruin mine. Besides, I said we were going to lose him, not miss him."  
  
With that their leader was off, and they too followed, somewhat dejected and drained by the mere fact that they would be chasing Tyson for the second time consecutively that day.  
  
"Tyson are you done yet?!" Kai snapped from the outside of the cubicle door, rapping several times against the handsomely cut and polished oak. The bathroom too, the boys had discovered was gleaming and new, with silver and golden taps and marble sinks. The cubicle in which Tyson was in, was flashing "Occupied" on the screen attatched against the door, as it had done since 15 minutes ago.  
  
"I am! I just don't know how to flush!" Tyson whined, making the rest of the team sigh with impatience.  
  
Kai growled, "You just reach forward and press the freaking white lever!"  
  
"But they don't have a white lever! Besides, there are about five different buttons in here!" Ray stalked forward into a vacant stall, and poked his head inside, before coming out again, grimacing. "There are five buttons here."  
  
"See!" They could almost picture Tyson with his tongue sticking out, triumphantly.  
  
"Bite your tongue and try them all, would you?" Max sighed, taking another swig of Tyson's favourite beverage. Hey, the stuff was good!  
  
"Okay, here goes."  
  
Seconds ticked by, and only the fresh scent of flowers reached there nose, to confirm that the first button Tyson had tried had only activated some sort of air refreshener.  
  
"The next one!"  
  
A soft buzzing emitted through the cubicle, and they all gazed eagerly at the door, willing for it to open. They waited.  
  
"Tyson?"  
  
"Erm sorry, the toilet seat covering changed itself." (A/N: Yup! There is such thing in real life! You guys should really go to one of the malls in Soeul, they're very fancy and elegant...)  
  
"The toilet seat covering?!" Ray cried out, "What the heck is that?"  
  
"There is a covering, so it will make sure that the bathroom seats are always clean and sanitary." Kenny observed, now joining Ray in the unoccupied cubicle beside Tyson's.  
  
"The next one?"  
  
"Nope, the toilet paper roll changing thing."  
  
"The next one then!"  
  
An odd sort of buzzing met their ears once more, soon accompanied by a man's voice. They all jumped. "Tyson, what's that?!"  
  
"I - I don't know! I just pressed this red button and then this guy is speaking through the speaker."  
  
"You just called the attendant." Kenny groaned, figuring out the inscriptions under the speaker with what little Korean he knew.  
  
Tyson blanched, "But I don't need one that doesn't speak english."  
  
"Turn it off, then!"  
  
He did, and silence circulated through the room once again. "You know what guys? I give up, I can't take it anymore!" Tyson banged open the door, and was just about to continue speaking when - a flushing of a toilet was heard, and they all peered inside to see where the noise had come from.  
  
Apparently the toilet flushed automatically when the door was opened.  
  
"TYSON!!!!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Sora yawned widly as she adjusted her stiff uniform. If it were her choice for dress codes, she would've said that plain t-shirt and pants would've been fine, thank you very much.  
  
But this was work, well temporarily for her, anyways. Because of her ability to speak in English with fluency, and could communicate well enough in Korean, she had been able to get a job as a tour guide around the city.  
  
She had been in Soeul a couple of times before - thank goodness - but had to get a year's worth of training before hand. In reality, her training had lasted only two days, but it seemed to have taken that long.  
  
Sora stood in the prim looking office, fidgeting. Why the manager had called her to his office, she would never know. How could she be in trouble when she hadn't even begun working yet? Had she done something wrong during her training sessions? Was she that inadequet?  
  
"Miss Hawkins?"  
  
Sora whipped around, "Yes?"  
  
"I called you in here to give you your first assignment." (She sighed with relief )"You will be giving the Blade Breakers a tour. You know them, correct? Miss Jones had resigned for personal reasons, you see..and there aren't many available english speaking tour guides at the moment, so...I know you're still training, but I'd like you to handle the job."  
  
"Sure! I'll do it."  
  
Sora beamed brightly as the beyblading celebrites made their way into view, and she caught herself nervously flattening her hair. Beyblading had never been a big part of her life, really. Sure, everyone else seemed to be immersed in the sport, but she just liked the beybladers that played it.  
  
She introduced herself when they came within range of hearing, "Hello, I'm Sora. I'll be your guide today."  
  
They all nodded at her, greeting her warmly - except for one.  
  
He was incredibly handsome to say the least, tall and solid, mingled with mystery..seemingly able to take on the very earth itself. Her eyes roamed carefully to his face, and there she faltered.  
  
Why did he seem so familiar?....  
  
"Me? I'm here for my brother. I'm on a search for him." Kesumi's eyes glazed over, and her mind seemed to be drifting on an endless current of the sea.  
  
"Your brother?" Sora frowned, leaning forward with curiosity.  
  
"..Yeah. Kai Hiwatari. My older brother. I miss him, you know? I need him."  
  
Sora gasped. Without having been told anything, without having Kesumi to describe him, she knew.  
  
With that confirmed, she raced down the sidewalk, ignoring shouts of the Blade breakers that called her back. She needed to tell Kesumi - Kesumi needed him.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kesumi lay back against the soft covers on her bed, shivering mildly against the whispering breeze that blew queitly within the room. She opened a weary eye, dragging the sheets up to her chin. She and Sora had arrived in Soeul a couple of days ago, and had settled in a local hotel.  
  
Soeul was interseting and so entertaining, that she had found herself ignoring and forgetting about how crowded and cramped the city was. It was high-tech, she had discovered when riding the subway to go grocery shopping one morning. It had talking intercoms by the escalators, for heaven's sakes! And the television screens that hung from the ceiling in each train compartments, added to the impending attachment that she was going to be feeling towards the city. Plus the pretty looking cell phones and electronics around here totally rocked!  
  
Her eyes blinked slowly, squirming around to a somewhat sitting position as groped for the clock that she had discarded somewhere on the floor the night before. 9:00.  
  
Sighing, she trudged out of the room, muttering incoherent words under her breath as headed to the small kitchen.  
  
Oh good, coffee. Sora must've left it brewing on her way to work. Pouring herself a cup, Kesumi took an absentminded sip of her drink, smiling to herself.  
  
It was funny how the two of them became so dependant of each other.  
  
Sora, she had found out was 17, and was orphaned at the age of 6. Her home had always been the orphanage, and she had never had anything of her own for a lifetime. Just last year, she had gotten a foster family, and they had brought her to Korea. And when they went back, they had left her here.  
  
Kesumi shook her head; people could be so cruel.  
  
She just hoped that everything would turn out well for Sora - she had been such a great older sister to her, and reminded her strangely of Tenchi.  
  
Tenchi. Kesumi blinked back hot tears as an odd sort of pang filled her heart, like the expanding rings in the water when something grazed its surface. How she wished she could see Tenchi and Tala again...she sat up straighter, with her back almost rigid.  
  
She would find Kai! And would reunite with her family again - Tenchi, Kai and Tala..her only family.  
  
With a confident raise of her chin, Kesumi picked up her mug of coffee with great gusto, draining half of it in one gulp. She spluttered. "Eww!"  
  
She peered down into the contents of her cup, as if only just realizing that her coffee was entirely black. She sighed.  
  
Standing up from her seat by the dining table - she had forgotten that she had chosen to sit down in the first place - Kesumi reached for the sugar, and sloshed some into her cup. Then just as she was about resume her previous position, the door slammed open, and Sora stood in the frame.  
  
"So -sora! What's wrong?"  
  
"He's staying in a nearby hotel. Him."  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
"You're so close. So very close all along." Sora stared at her, words coming out in a soft, blank whisper.  
  
"Sora, look - I don't get what you're trying to say - "  
  
"You're brother, Kesumi. He's staying at Hyundai Hotel."  
  
A deafening silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of a coffee mug clattering onto the floor with a sickening crack.  
  
YAY! That was..how many pages was that? ANYWAYS! The point is that I finally updated my 4th chapter! MUHAHAHAHA Aren't you proud of me? *stretches* That chapter took me a while, didn't it? Well, if you want me to update soon, then review! Review, damnit! *ahem* Please? Great! See you guys in my next update~ 


	5. A Nudging Memory

Hey everybody! I'm updating my fifth chapter, thanks to all who reviewed the last one: Mizu-Tenshi: Yup, there are real bathrooms like that! Cool, eh? Silver Angel: Thanks, glad you liked it. Sombody: Thanks for your review, did I update fast enough? Awed: Much thanks for your compliments! *blushes*  
  
Chapter 5: A nudging memory:  
  
Kesumi grasped a small piece of paper in hand, clamping down onto the edges as if afraid to let go. She was nervous to the point where even the slightest rustle of leaves would make her jump five feet into the air. Yet she couldn't even hear them, for she was too preoccupied by simply staring up at the towering hotel in front of her.  
  
It was exquisitely grand, and if rumours were true, a place where celebrities often chose to spend their stay at Seoul in.  
  
Pale faced, yet determined Kesumi shakily stumbled up the elegant stairs toward the main entrance. But before she even reached the top, a security guard walked over in her direction.  
  
What the heck was this guy saying? She thought, blowing air through her teeth. Say something that I can understand, damn it!  
  
She let out an impatient sort of noise, "Could. You. Please. Talk. In. English?"  
  
He stared, and then spoke sharply into an intercom looking thing - she didn't know what it was. A buzz and a quick response in Korean confirmed her first guess. Holding up his hand - she assumed it was a signal for her to stay where she was - he walked back toward the building to greet another hotel guard who was making her way down the steps.  
  
As she reached her, Kesumi realized that the woman wasn't a security guard, but appeared to be some sort of manager. "Good evening."  
  
"Oh, hello." Kesumi sighed with relief.  
  
"I'm sorry, but the hotel is being restricted tonight - we had some problems with fans of some celebrities here. They've asked for specific privacy for tonight. I apologize for the inconvenience - "  
  
"Is Kai in there?" She flushed, "I mean, are the Blade Breakers really staying at the hotel?"  
  
The woman gave her a long look before replying, "Isn't that why you came today? Yes, Mr. Hiwatari is here, as well as the rest of his team."  
  
Her heart skipped a beat..hiwatari. "I have to go see him!"  
  
The older woman watched her with an incredulous gaze, "I don't think that can be arranged. Fans are not - "  
  
"I am not a fan!" Kesumi felt herself flush even further. "I'm his sister!"  
  
This time, the woman laughed. "I'm really sorry miss, but what you are requesting is simply out of the question." With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared through the glass doors and into the hotel.  
  
Kesumi stared up at the building, no longer amazed by its presence. Instead, she felt overwhelming disappointment and anger. That the building was the only thing that separated her from her brother - she cringed at that thought.  
  
As a new gust of wind entwined through her hair, Kesumi shuddered, painfully aware of how suddenly cold the night had become. I'm not giving up, though. She nodded to herself, no way! I'll see him even if it's the last thing I do!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ray mumbled under his breath as he pulled his ripcord, folding his arms stiffly as he watched his beyblade circle leisurely around the dish. "Step it up Driger!" He snapped, and his bit flashed with annoyance.  
  
"Sorry." He said apologetically, "Didn't mean to push you."  
  
Ray stared down at himself, and dropped his arms to his sides, "Man, I've been around Kai too long." But, he thought vigorously, I have a reason to be grumpy! Kenny and Kai's idea for this one on one training with the bit beast takes up way too much room! Tyson and Max were hogging the only two dishes in the training room, while I get the outer one in the courtyard!  
  
Well, Kai had to train outside too - but hey! At least their team leader wanted to - he didn't!  
  
He straightened, no use whining about that now. "C'mon Drig - "  
  
Ray stopped, having just noticed another person in the courtyard. He looked up toward the beautifully decorated archway where a girl stood, watching him.  
  
He inwardly groaned, uh - oh, another fan.  
  
"You beyblade?"  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow, surprised at the obvious question. Didn't everybody know that he bladed? He was only internationally famous for it.  
  
"Of course! Don't you know me?"  
  
It was girl's turn to stare.  
  
Feeling the need to familiarize herself with the surroundings, Kesumi had decided to take a stroll along the meticulously maintained fields and paths. It was then she had heard soft scratches coming from what looked to be a courtyard.  
  
It was a beyblade, accompanied by its beyblader.  
  
"You beyblade?" She had asked, and only got a bewildered look in return. The boy seemed to be taken aback, as if the question surprised him.  
  
What was the big deal? She just asked him if he beybladed.  
  
"Of course! Don't you know me?"  
  
Kesumi bit her lip and sighed. It was so hard to find a decent boy to crush on! The guy was cute and conceited, or ugly and well - ugly.  
  
Not meaning to offend the egotistical stranger, she replied hastily, "Did we meet before or something? I - I'm sorry if I don't remember you." He did look sort of familiar though..  
  
Ray's momentary confusion melted away into a brilliant smile, and he felt as if he was going to leap off the ground. It was a miracle! Somebody who didn't know him! Ever since the Russian tournament, everybody everywhere knew him, even if he did not. And now, a stranger, who was really a stranger because - he stopped himself.  
  
"No! Not at all. I'm Ray." He held out a friendly hand for her to shake, which she accepted reluctantly.  
  
"I'm Kesumi. Nice to meet you Ray."  
  
They talked for nearly an hour, seated comfortably on the stone bench as they discussed beyblading. Kesumi didn't know that time could go by so fast, neither did Ray.  
  
"So why are you here, Ray? Do you live here? You don't seem to be a Korean."  
  
He fidgeted; his elation at being unknown by somebody had prevented him from telling his new found friend that he was actually a celebrity.  
  
"Um, I'm Chinese. Just came to um visit my friends. What about you Kesumi?"  
  
"Ray."  
  
They both looked up to see who had called his name, and Ray smiled when he saw who it was. "Hey Kai."  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Okay boys! Time to - Andrew! Jordan put that vase down, and Eric, don't play around with that! Carl, I'm warning you, stop jumping down on the bed!"  
  
Tenchi glared menacingly at the boys, who - after becoming aware of the annoyance in their trainer - had immediately settled down.  
  
"Get into bed now." Her hands were set on her hips, and she gave each of them stern glares, to which they smiled sheepishly to. "Sorry Tenchi, love the hotel room.."  
  
"Yeah it has a lot of gadgets and stuff! We couldn't help ourselves."  
  
They blinked innocently as they watched a smile hinting at the corners of her lips.  
  
"We're really, really sorry. Going right to bed now, c'mon guys." Andrew jumped into his bed, quickly dodging under the covers as the rest of the boys soon followed suit.  
  
Tenchi gave in, grinning widely, "Okay then. Enough horseplay for you guys tonight." She walked toward each bed, placing a gentle kiss on the forehead of the occupier before flicking off the lights. "Goodnight."  
  
"Night Tenchi!"  
  
She closed the door and leaned against the frame, letting her head rest against the glossy surface. They were staying at a hotel nearby the stadium, the one in which the tournament will be held in, the very one which her uncle owned.  
  
Tenchi remained in that position for a long time, mind wandering listlessly to and for until even thinking took effort. She was so tired. Inserting the card into the slot by the knob, she waited until a green light blinked as a sign that the door was opened. Slipping inside once more, she gazed fondly at the boys, feeling strangely proud.  
  
They were going to be great - excellent in the junior competitions.  
  
Each and every one of the four showed much skill and confidence, and she couldn't wait to present them to the world. The tournament would be only in day's time, both junior and intermediate competitions.  
  
You just wait Boris, because my boys are going taking home the gold! ~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hey Kai."  
  
Kesumi shivered, what did he just say? Her eyes swept toward the speaker, and she felt as if her knees had just given away. "Kai?!"  
  
It was her brother - it was really him.  
  
She ran toward him, ignorant of the world around her and Ray - who stared at her, surprised. Throwing her arms around his neck, she buried her face into his chest - she could hardly reach up to his shoulders anymore.  
  
Kai's eyes widened with shock, and for one second, his mind went careening in a direction it had never gone to before. A flash of brilliant light appeared at the back of his conscience, and a form of two giggling little girls materialized. As quickly as it came, it was gone.  
  
Tearing away from the stranger, Kai spat out in the most dangerously icy voice, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"  
  
Am I evil? I keep doing the cliff hanger thing, don't I? Well you'll just have to wait for the next chapter, and if you want it out fast..REVIEW! Glad that we made it clear~ *winks* See you all in the next chapter - oh yeah, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! Right now, I'm a huge fan of this holiday - it bought me two whole days off of school! THANK YOU EASTER! 


	6. Familiar Stranger

Hello everyone! The last cliff hanger was a bit mean of me, wasn't it? Ah well, here it is now.To my reviewers: (not in any particular order)  
  
Angel25302: Thanks for reviewing and reading the story! By the way...you know the numbers after your author name? The 25302. Does it mean anything? Lol  
  
To the anonymous reviewer: I updated! Soon enough, I hope? Next time maybe you can leave your name or something that I can refer to you by when I reply to reviews...thx a bunch for reading!  
  
Mizu-Tenshi: There will be quite a bit of flashbacks in the chapters following this one..soon after he meets Kesumi or/and someone else....there's a clue for you! There are none in this chapter...I don't think. *Peers down at the chapter*  
  
Silver Angel: I know, poor Kesumi! Even I think so, and I was the one who wrote it! *Laughs* Anyways, thanks for reviewing, I appreciate it!  
  
Alva: I updated, I updated! Lol, thx for reading!  
  
Chapter 6: Familiar Stranger  
  
Kesumi drew in a sharp breath, stumbling awkwardly back. "K-Kai." She shivered, feeling inexplicably unsure - yet so completely sure. This was her brother, she was positive! Wasn't he?  
  
He looked liked him - sure he changed quite a bit, time can do that to you. But he was different. The way his eyes were glinting, and the way his face was contorted with anger. It wasn't like Kai to act like this. Sure her brother hadn't been all perky, he was rather subdued and mature for his age. Under Boris, he and Tala had had to grow up fast, and they did.  
  
But this wasn't Kai.  
  
There was no way he could act this....mean. AND there was no way he couldn't remember his own sister, it was impossible! She puffed with sudden anxiety, "It's me, Kesumi. What's wrong with you?"  
  
The next few words from his mouth had cut through her like a knife, something that told her that this definitely wasn't her brother she had known.  
  
He had never done anything to hurt her; he had been her mother, father and an older brother after their parents had passed away. This had been the first.  
  
"I don't know who Kesumi is, and I definitely don't know who you are. I don't freaking care, got it? So stop wasting my time, and get lost!"  
  
His words were unbelievable, and they stung; they really, really hurt.  
  
~*~*~*  
  
Tenchi leaned into her chair, a book propped open on her knee. She stared down at the pages with scrutiny, a mask of concentration knitting the spaces in between her brows. But she hadn't read a single word - not really. If reading one sentence for 50 times over and over again counted as reading, she probably could've gotten a lot of it done by now.  
  
Reading and writing had always come naturally for her; words seem to belong to her, as if a deep part of her. Like one special part of her brain was reserved for it. But today, they seemed to only offer an irritating pang of annoyance.  
  
Staring up at the clock, she realized with an indignant surprise that she had remained in that sitting position for nearly two hours. She hated wasting time - especially on useless brooding.  
  
"Tenchi, you in there?"  
  
"Come in."  
  
"Hey Tench, thought you could use our company."  
  
The Demolition boys filed in, claiming chairs and cushions to lie on as they walked inside. "How come you get to have the largest room?" Ian blinked, scanning her hotel suite with curious interest.  
  
"Because, I'm special." She reached forward to flip her book to the next page, unaware of the fact that she hadn't finished the one before.  
  
"What are you reading?" Spencer asked, "It looks boring."  
  
Tenchi looked up and shrugged nonchalantly, "I have no idea."  
  
Sighing, she tossed the book resignedly to Tala, who caught it with a disgruntled expression. "Shakespeare? How disturbing."  
  
Her brother was leaning casually against the bed - which he occupied on his own, after having thrown everyone else off the side of the mattress - his chin gently atop of one of his outstretched palms.  
  
"I happen to like Shakespeare," Tenchi replied, casting an exasperated eye on him, "He's an inspirational author."  
  
Tala gave her a long look before flipping to a random page. Peering at the words, he wrinkled his nose, "Thou? Thy? What kind of English is this?"  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Hey, take your foot off my pillow!"  
  
He smiled sweetly, one of her pillows clamped down under his left foot, while his other one was left dangling off the side. Without replying, he lifted the other foot and placed it in parallel with the one on the pillow, watching her expression scrunch up with distaste.  
  
His sister liked keeping things clean, and this was just one of those habits of his that grated at her nerves to no end.  
  
By the look on her face, he knew that he was headed into deep water, but he studiously ignored the alarms ringing dangerously in his head. She seemed to need cheering up, and since he wasn't any good at comforting, he could at least get her to release her pent up frustrations on him.  
  
Both feet resting comfortably on Tenchi's pillow, Tala cupped his head between his interlaced hands and fell gently onto the bed.  
  
The rest of the gang watched with half amusement, knowing that Tala was in for it.  
  
Without warning, Tenchi sprung forward, sweeping the pillow from under his feet and landing it directly into his face. Even for somebody with a quick reaction as Tala, it had been impossible to avoid such impending doom.  
  
In minutes, the room was covered with loose feathers and empty pillow cases, shortly after a pillow fight had occurred. The five of them lay sprawled on the floor, puffing slightly as they stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"Told you not to mess with me." Tenchi scooted towards Tala, grinning widely.  
  
The boys groaned - how they got caught between the sibling war was unknown.  
  
Blowing away a stray feather that tickled his nose, Bryan smacked Tala's head with an empty pillowcase. "You started it, so you clean it up."  
  
As Tala was sputtering out protests, a soft knock came from the door, and everyone turned their attention towards it. Tenchi dusted herself off before rising and heading to it, quickly pushing security passwords into the computerized lock and opened the door.  
  
"Tenchi! Good to see you looking so well."  
  
She blinked, finding herself at a loss for words. Clearing her throat, she said softly,  
  
"Hello Mrs. Hiwatari! How are you?"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Kai glared fixedly at the girl, eyes flashing with cold fury. Who did she think she was?!  
  
With one last daunting look, he whipped passed her, motioning to Ray that it was time to come inside.  
  
She shivered, hardly noticing that Ray had been talking to her. Feeling the heat rise slowly in her face, she ducked her head to hide the unsteady flow of tears.  
  
"Don't worry about him - Kai's always like that. Kesumi?"  
  
An unspoken silence told him enough, and he turned away to give her time. "Are you okay?"  
  
For a moment she did not answer, and when Kesumi looked up, Ray was startled to see that her face was streaked with lingering tears. He hadn't expected her to be crying. Sure Kai had been harsh, but he was like that...if only she understood. But Kai had been particularly defensive today, Ray huffed, he had fan girls nipping at his heels day and night, what was the big deal?  
  
"Kesumi?" He tried again, nudging her gently on her elbow. She flinched away, "What?"  
  
"You're trembling."  
  
Ray slipped his jacket over her huddled frame, awkwardly zipping up the front for her. She seemed to be entirely unresponsive, cold as ice, yet staring blankly into some black abyss. "Kesumi.."  
  
She was shaking more violently now, and Ray watched her with a worried gaze. What could he do for her? Although slightly apprehensive at his new solution, Ray helped her through the entrance in the courtyard and headed towards his hotel room.  
  
At least she'll be warm in there - though I'll have a lot of explaining to do. Kai might've gotten the wrong impression of her, but I know she's nice. Besides, even he wouldn't want someone to catch a cold or something, would he?  
  
Nodding reassuringly to himself, Ray led her inside, hesitation and concern lingering on his face.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kai leaned stiffly against the marble railings, his left arm tightly folded on top of one of the smoothly carved bars.  
  
He had been defensive, but why?  
  
Something was nagging at his mind, and he found himself regarding it with a large amount of annoyance. His head was ringing as if hit by a metal hammer, and he caught himself grimacing into the mirror. It hurt like shit, though he would never tell or admit it to anyone - that would just hurt his pride. But he knew this pain was extreme, because he was so immune to pain by now, it wasn't possible that he could actually feel it so vividly.  
  
The pain seemed to come..from the inside, like a throbbing ache. Something was not right.  
  
This is all because of that stupid girl!  
  
His fingers clenched into an unconscious fist, it really hurt. Gritting his teeth, he took in uneven breaths, quickly masking a flicker of pain.  
  
*Kai! It's not funny, give me back my crayons!*  
  
He kept hearing voices - was he going insane?  
  
*See you alive Hiwatari.*  
  
Mental hospital, that's where he was heading for.  
  
*Honestly, if you two aren't going to pay attention to your studies, then maybe you should leave Kai and me to tend to our homework. Don't bother us, we're studying!*  
  
Oh fuck, what the heck was going on?  
  
Leaning slightly over the railings, Kai let his head droop gently against the night wind, sighing deeply. Regaining control, he clamped down on the voices in his distant mind. But that girl was so familiar...shut up! Don't think about that.  
  
He had always taken pride in his ability to control his emotions, sometimes to the point where he couldn't even feel them any longer. Today though, it seemed - dare he say it - impossible, because those emotions seemed to be erupting, as if triggered by something.  
  
Concluding on this note, Kai turned to walk back inside, determined not to, yet desperately trying to decipher confused messages his mind was sending him.  
  
Deciding to take a brief walk around the grounds, he slipped through the door and into the shadows, leaving the security guards around the Blade Breaker's hotel suites oblivious to his exit.  
  
That girl was a stranger, although that was uncertain. What he did know was that she was familiar, as if he had known her all his life.  
  
Maybe he had, just maybe he had.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Sleeping, that's what she was doing, but that was not what made Ray so panicked.  
  
Kesumi was on Kai's bed. Asleep. He hadn't meant for her to fall asleep there. As soon as they walked in, she just kind of collapsed - from exhaustion, no doubt - onto the team captain's bed.  
  
He couldn't bear to wake her up; she had just settled down considerably and was easing into sleep. He just couldn't do it.  
  
Sighing, he anxiously awaited Kai's arrival, the guy deserved to know why a girl he didn't seem to like all too much was sleeping in their suite. Not to mention on his bed.  
  
Had it been Tyson's bed, or Max's or Kenny's, Ray wouldn't have worried a second. They would have understood.  
  
But Kai?  
  
Ray knew he was in for it.  
  
Crouching down next to her, Ray checked for her temperature. Didn't seem too bad. Sighing with temporary relief, he stared intently at her, realizing for the first time of how much in common she had with someone. Who was it though?  
  
Stumbling back to his own bed, Ray discarded his clothes in the washroom before pulling on t-shirt and shorts. I can't fall asleep before Kai gets here, he thought, stifling a yawn. But a quick shut eye won't be too much of a bad idea.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Tenchi watched Mrs. Hiwatari talking softly with Andrew. He had been so excited to see his grandmother, although he had not expected her here - but then again, neither did she.  
  
Tala was also watching them from the sidelines, a fond smile on the tip of his lips. "I wonder how long Mrs. Hiwatari can stay. Andrew has missed her so much. It's not like he can visit her frequently, what with all those Boris minions flitting around."  
  
He looked up, "I don't know. But I know that she won't be staying long. The walls have eyes, you know that. Boris can be watching us anytime."  
  
She pursed her lips, sliding down the wall as if she had lost the strength to remain standing up. "You okay?"  
  
Tenchi gave him a soft nod, and flashed a weak smile to reassure him. A fat load of reassuring that did.  
  
"Okay, honestly, what's up?" Besides the usual worries about getting betrothed, he thought bitterly.  
  
"Just tired. I think I'm going to sleep early today, you know the tournament is only the day after tomorrow. Uncle wants me to check up on the stadium and stuff tomorrow. Want to come along?"  
  
"As much as I would like to, I can't." Tala winced, "Boris caught Ian flirting with some chick across the hall - she's some sort of actress from Paris that came to visit. Don't really know."  
  
Tenchi raised an amused eyebrow, turning her head to look up at her brother. "Really? Ian flirting with a girl? So he may be one of my closest friends, but that doesn't mean I don't have eyes when concerning him. He's...well.."  
  
"Ugly?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Really ugly."  
  
"Right."  
  
As Tenchi gave him a skeptic eyebrow, he relented, sighing. "Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly Ian, but it was sort of kind of...Spencer."  
  
"Spencer. Uh - huh."  
  
"Brian."  
  
There she laughed, smacking her forehead, Brian? As if!  
  
"Okay, okay. So it was me. But hey, I was bored."  
  
She rolled her eyes - boys. Turning her attention back to the centre of the room, Tenchi smiled as she saw that Andrew had fallen asleep on his grandmother's lap. Mrs. Hiwatari was stroking his ebony hair gently. That was the thing that made Andrew so easy to keep as a secret. He didn't look Kai or Kesumi too much, but he certainly did resemble his grandmother.  
  
"I better get going." The elderly woman said, and Tala stepped forward to relieve Andrew from her.  
  
"I'll walk you out Mrs. Hiwatari." Tenchi offered, rising up from her spot.  
  
In the background, Tala slipped through the door with Andrew in his arms. "I'm going to take him to bed, the kid must be tired."  
  
She nodded before turning back to Tenchi, "No, no. That's okay." She paused, affectionately touching Tenchi's head. "You've grown so much. A beautiful woman, you are. Just like your mother."  
  
Mrs. Hiwatari beamed, "Take care of Andrew for me, Tenchi. And your brother."  
  
"Goodnight Mrs. Hiwatari. Don't worry, I will take care of Andrew - and Tala." For as long as I can.  
  
How was that? If you were looking for a happy Kai, Kesumi, Tala and Tenchi reunion - well, this was a surprise, wasn't it? Lol, leave a nice review for me, and I'll be sure to update more quickly..later~ 


	7. Lost and Found

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Beyblade or characters, I merely am borrowing them and adding my plot and OC's to it. *rolls eyes* I forgot to do the disclaimer in a couple of previous chapters..oops.  
  
Replies to reviews:  
  
Mizu-Tenshi: A summary? Eh, when I have time. To be honest, I'm just being lazy. Lol. It will probably get emotional in the chapter, I don't know yet - I'll see how it progresses. ^ ^  
  
Jessie: Hey!!!!! Oh my gosh, I haven't talked to you in ages! Thx for the review!!  
  
Black Dranzer: Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you did the last few..  
  
To the anonymous reviewer: I updated! Thx for the review...*pokes* and make sure to leave your name or something!  
  
Angel25302: Thx so much! I appreciate your feed back. *winks*  
  
Chapter 7: Lost and Found  
  
It was late - about 12:00 or so, and the distant chimes of a clock somewhere in the room confirmed his suspicions. It was too dark to actually see where the clock was situated, or else he would've taken a glance at it to be sure.  
  
His mind was wandering - which he found severely unusual, after always having to control his thoughts and mind under strict boundaries and rules - and found it a miracle that he managed to find his way back to his hotel suite without getting lost.  
  
Ray would be asleep, Kai thought, squinting into the darkness to his roommate's bed, where a huddled lump occupied its middle. And he was.  
  
Contemplating whether or not he wanted to change into something more comfortable before he went to bed, Kai decided for the latter choice. He was too tired to bother.  
  
As he edged towards his bed, the moon from beyond the window emerged from the clouds, spraying an eerie beam of light into the room, and he frowned. There was someone on his bed already.  
  
He walked forward, and leaned to have a closer look at the intruder.  
  
Kai swore.  
  
It was that girl! How the heck did she get in here? Pass all the security? How - unless...Ray. His eyes hardened as he straightened stiffly. Just looking at her made the pain in his head come back. What was up with this girl?  
  
Just as he reached forward to shake her roughly by the shoulders, Kai faltered and stumbled back, gasping rapidly. The pain in his head was getting worse, and it seemed as if his mind was drawing heavy curtains against the outside world...  
  
"Kai? Kai?" Kesumi prodded gently at her brother, suppressing a violent shiver.  
  
"Kai, wake up!"  
  
He mumbled, stirring slightly, "What is it, Kessy?"  
  
She let out a shuddering sob, dazedly noting that her eyes blurred and her vision swayed out in front of her.  
  
Kai awoke, startled at he discovered a well of tears in her eyes. "Kessy? What's wrong?" Concerned, he jerkily pulled himself up into a sitting position.  
  
"Hey, you okay?" He gently embraced the little girl as she clambered clumsily onto the bed. "Shh, don't cry."  
  
Kesumi sniffed, using her small fingers to wipe away her tears, "I had that dream again. It was scary, Kai. It was really, really scary."  
  
He drew in a sharp breath, grimacing as he pulled his covers over her trembling frame. Kesumi had been having nightmares about their parents ever since their funeral, which she had attended, but hadn't fully understood what really had happened. She was only 6; she couldn't have understood.  
  
"Where's mom and dad, Kai? When are they coming back?"  
  
Stroking her hair, Kai mumbled softly, "They're in Heaven, Kessy."  
  
"Heaven? Where's that? Is it a nice place there? Why'd they go? When're they coming back?" Kesumi demanded, her voice thick with sleep and depression. "You're not going to leave too, are you?"  
Kai paused, and when he spoke, his voice held a lingering emotion, "They're not coming to be back for a long time, Kesumi. And no, I'm not going to leave. I promise, I'll always be here when you need me." He pointed to her heart, "Mom and Dad are in there too. Just look for us, and you'll find that you're never alone."  
  
"In here?" She asked, laying a hand over her heart, "You promise to stay?"  
  
He nodded, "I promise."........  
  
Kai leaned forward, his forehead pressed painfully over his knees. His headache had abated, but was still throbbing strong, like a drum being played at a steady beat.  
  
Where had that come from?  
  
Gritting his teeth, he lifted up on his feet, angry at himself for losing control so easily. I need sleep. Nodding at the logical sense of the notion, Kai walked warily to the sleeping girl.  
  
Reaching forward, he tapped her on the shoulder: for some reason, he couldn't shake her roughly as he had intended. She shifted under his touch, and he felt a strange pang of sudden guilt - although he didn't know why, it was his bed, after all!  
  
But for some reason, he just couldn't wake her, he was compelled not to do such a thing. Kai shook his head, wincing visibly as he quickly straightened and headed toward the wall. Leaning against the cool surface, he let his forehead rest against the rough texture of the wall paper.  
  
Maybe he shouldn't sleep just yet; perhaps a brief thinking time would be good to sort out his thoughts. That's it - time - that's what he needed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The room was shaded with dark shadows when he first opened his eyes the next morning, only small rays filtered through the almost tightly closed blinds that hung over the large windows.  
  
Feeling stiff, he unfolded his arms to his sides. He must have fallen asleep in the same position against the wall.  
  
"Kai?"  
  
He looked in the direction the voice had come from. Kesumi - no, it wasn't Kesumi! Where did the stupid name come from anyways? Staring at her from under his eye lashes, Kai pretended to be sleeping, only to realize that she had been murmuring in her sleep.  
  
The girl had his blankets all mussed up, he scowled, seeing the covers draped randomly against the side of the bed. Slipping towards the windows, Kai pulled open the lock and stretched his head out through the gap. A startling wind nipped at his face and he found that sheets of drying rain were still left over from the night before.  
  
Had it been raining? He couldn't recall that it had been, or even if it had, he wouldn't have noticed.  
  
Drawing his head back inside, his eyes settled uncomfortably on the stranger - she was shaking like a leaf. Kai let out a soft groan, his inner conscience had a firmer grip on him than it normally would've, and he wondered why.  
  
Picking up the sheets that were half discarded onto the floor, he quickly dropped them over her, just as quickly receding back far away as possible from her. His head was hurting again, so he turned away sharply and headed towards the door.  
  
With his hand tightly gripping the cold metal of the knob, Kai let his gaze fall onto the girl again. There was something strange about her, something that - he was surprised to say - wasn't completely negative, but in a way, good. She seemed familiar, and he was going to figure out why she was - he had to.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Tenchi nodded curtly to the officers that stood by the main entrance in the stadium, swiftly turning inward and through the grand hall. Its interior was impressive, she had to admit, with the ceiling arched a few stories up, and a carefully structured chandelier showering exquisite sparkles to those below.  
  
The floors and walls had all been polished until they were practically gleaming, and she found herself asking if they would've worked to maintain the stadium so impeccably even if she hadn't been there to inspect. I should've come without notice, Tenchi mused wryly, nodding absentmindedly to the manager as he spoke to her about the stadium's equipment.  
  
"Since the tournament is starting tomorrow, we're doing a test run of all the equipment, Miss Balkov. Mister Balkov had wanted you to check over the process."  
  
Raising an eyebrow, she nodded her agreement and followed the stadium's manager as he led her towards the main stadium. She was itching to pull her ripcord, and she could tell that her bitbeast shared her excitement.  
  
Tenchi smiled as her fingers grasped her beyblade; yes, she told her bit, we're going to be great!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Ryan, Andrew, you didn't have to come with me." Kai rolled his eyes, turning away from his security guards as he drew down the windows in his limo. This was one of the many flaws about being a celebrity: you had no privacy and couldn't go anywhere you wanted anymore what with determined men tracing each step you took - not to mention the fans and media.  
  
His guards merely nodded sheepishly, "We know, Mister Hiwatari. You hate being followed. But Mister Dickinson's orders..."  
  
They trailed off, once noting that Kai had stopped listening. Instead, he was staring out through the open window, eyes locked on something far beyond the horizon. He was heading towards the stadium that would be hosting the international tournament, where he would be touring the arenas in which the beyblade battles would be situated in ahead of time.  
  
He had insisted that he could go on his own, but Andrew and Ryan had tagged along. Kai sighed as the stadium slowly came into the view, and the car hum to a stop. At least one good thing came out of this: he could finally get to do some real training.  
  
~*~  
  
Nice, he mused, his eyes dancing with slight interest. The stadium was much more extravagant than those he had beybladed in before - and they were pretty high class. Nodding with approval, he led his guards through a series of corridors to one of the training rooms.  
  
According to the map he had been given, the training room should be down to the left... "The cameras are in the way, Mr. Vance. How can I make it any clearer that you should not have them in the arena?"  
  
He stopped where the hall was blocked by two other people, folding his arms patiently as he waited for them to finish their conversation - or at least to move aside for him to pass.  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
The man and the girl turned around, obviously irritated by the intrusion. "Yes, how may I help you?" The man spoke to him in a chopped voice, looking extremely displeased until he saw who it was. "Mr. Hiwatari! How pleasant of you to visit us."  
  
Kai shook the offered hand, and turned to acknowledge the person the stadium's manager - Mr. Vance - had been conversing with.  
  
She had crystal blue eyes, he would remember, that seemed to be as clean as any sparkling glass and the shimmering surface of water, yet there was a layer of ice beyond that, somewhat opaque, protecting her from being vulnerable under other people's scrutiny. Her skin was an elegant cream, and hair a long, silky auburn. Beautiful, tall and slender, she was, but there was something else that intrigued him.  
  
He inclined his chin upwards to better survey her, and she was just as busy to stare back. There was a stance in her that was independent, and strong, that told him that she was different from the rest of the girls he had seen. Something in her that was different...yet he had an uncanny feeling that she was also familiar.  
  
At that moment she broke off the gaze, speaking in a soft tone, "We'll talk further on this matter later, Mr. Vance." With that, she swept off down the hallway, and Kai would later notice that her footsteps made hardly any sound, much similar to his own.  
  
I'm finished! *whew* But I enjoyed writing that all the same! Sorry if it's taking a while to update, I mean teachers these days.....but I can't blame them, it is close to the last few weeks of school! Oh no! End of school..start of exams...blah....read and review, please!!!!!! 


	8. So close, yet so far away

I know, I know, it's been a looooooooong time since my last update, and I sincerely apologize for the delay. No, I didn't have a major writer's block, I just didn't have much spare time over the past few weeks. This chapter didn't really turn out the way I'd like, in fact none of the chapters that I wrote so far met my expectations, but it'll have to do for now. *I promise I'll get to revising the story...one day...*  
  
Jessie: Hey hey!~ Thx for reading, Jess!  
  
Sighing Siren: Wow, thanks! I'LL give you a chocolate bunny for reading! Lol.  
  
Mizu - Tenshi: AHA!!! I UPDATED!!! Finally, huh? Muahaha! Anyways Mizu, I can't believe you're still reading this sorry excuse for a story!! *laughs* Ttyl~  
  
Anonymous: Sorry it took me so long to update~!  
  
anonymous: Thank you for leaving a review~  
  
Okay, now we can get on with the story, no?  
  
Chapter 8: So close, yet so far away.  
  
Tenchi shivered mildly against the cold draft that seeped through the open window, but she dared not close it. Instead, she fumbled with her covers until it was arranged to her satisfactory, closing her tired eyes.  
  
A few seconds later, her eyes opened sharply again, and she cast her gaze wearily around the room. She shook her head, desperately trying to evade the images of his face that seemed to have branded itself to her mind. "I won't cry." She said fiercely, "I *can't* cry."  
  
I missed you so much, Kai, she mused bitterly, and now I finally found you, I don't know what to do. There were so many unanswered mysteries you left in your wake as you left the abbey, but now that I can finally ask them, those questions seemed to have left me entirely. And there were so many things that I wanted - needed - to tell you, but now that I can finally have my chance to say them, I am at a loss for words.  
  
But you don't even seem to remember me, what is there to say to that?  
  
She brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek, feeling impatient with herself. It hurts to love someone so deeply, she decided. It hurts, also, to have them not love you back.  
  
Tears.  
  
She turned her head into her pillow, intent on muffling her sobs, yet she had no need for such a thing, because her cries were heartbreaking all on its own without making a single sound.  
  
~*~  
  
For a moment, he seemed mesmerized by the glinting of the evening's sunlight that slid and winked off of Dranzer's bit chip, chiding the phoenix softly for being so restless. "Stop that." The phoenix trilled in response, probing his mind with its gentle warmth.  
  
"I'm okay, Dranzer. I really am."  
  
Pocketing the beyblade he had pulled out to apologize to - he hadn't given Dranzer the training he had intended, and came back to the hotel right back after his encounter with the mysterious girl - Kai changed his course to the direction of his room. Night had fallen already without his notice, and he had to go back soon unless he wanted his guards frantically searching all over Seoul for him.  
  
But he couldn't go back. Ray had somehow gotten the rest of the Blade Breakers up that morning and had introduced the girl to them while he had gone to the stadium. They had made immediate friends with her, talking to her amiably as if they had been doing so for years.  
  
This annoying turn of events had only slightly altered their team. Everyone - except him, he hadn't even been there when the decision was made - had agreed to ask her to stay with them while they went on the world wide tour. She accepted, and he had been furious.  
  
"It's not like she's actually on the team, Kai. She doesn't even beyblade!" Kenny had offhandedly pointed out. Oh yeah, some relief! He sighed to himself with resignation, how was he going to survive the rest of the trip?  
  
What was worse was Mr. Dickenson's stupid notion to assign the girl to his and Ray's room. Kenny, Tyson, and Max all shared one suite, so it was only fair, he had said.  
  
But this wouldn't have been a big problem if she had not associated with him at all. In fact, it would've been a whole lot better. But would the girl just leave him alone? Apparently she had more things to say to him than he had talked in the past few years of his life.  
  
She had tried talking to him again; it had not gone any better than it had the first time. He'd stormed out passed Ray who was just coming back up from the training room in the lower parts of the hotel, and found himself here - wherever 'here' was.  
  
He squinted around, rationally concluding that it was the garden, the place where he had first met that girl - Kesumi. Great, he thought sourly, just great.  
  
The things she had said tonight though, hit way too close to home to be just a coincidence. It didn't make sense. She kept on insisting things that were so..right. Sighing, he paused his walk to stare up absent-mindedly at the hotel that threw overbearing shadows over his own, his eyes spotting the window that opened to his suite.  
  
He gave up trying to force himself into the hotel, and settled for circling the building instead. This took a lot more work than he had anticipated, but it was a relief in many reasons than none.  
  
"I can't believe you forgot me, Kai! I'm you sister!"  
  
Sister..sister...sister..  
  
He cringed, doubling over onto the ground, feeling more surprise than pain. That Kesumi girl had insisted that she was his sister. It seemed so ridiculous that he had a living relative other than Voltaire, and it made him laugh without mirth.  
  
But it just seemed to fit.  
  
Regaining posture - after a brief, and embarrassed glance to spot any spectators - Kai frowned again as another wave of confusing messages replayed in his head. He grimaced, oh lord, not another one.  
  
It was that same vision as the last one, except it was much shorter and replayed the same scene over and over again. He was the little boy, he was sure. And the girl...was...he swallowed hard.  
  
"Where's mom and dad, Kai? When are they coming back?"  
  
Stroking her hair, Kai mumbled softly, "They're in Heaven, Kessy."  
  
"Heaven? Where's that? Is it a nice place there? Why'd they go? When're they coming back? You're not going to leave too, are you?"  
  
They're not coming to be back for a long time, Kesumi. And no, I'm not going to leave. I promise, I'll always be here when you need me."  
  
"Just look for us. You'll find that you're never alone."  
  
"In here?" She asked, laying a hand over her heart, "You promise to stay?"  
  
He nodded, "I promise."........  
  
Kai snapped, catching himself against the wall before he lost control of his balance twice that day. His head was reeling, his mouth seemed parched, and his stomach unsettled. He cursed with vengeance.  
  
Turning wildly, he ran his way around to the front of the hotel and in through the entrance in an anxious rush.  
  
He slammed open the doors that led to the staircase; not once had the fact that his suite was 15 stories upwards or that there were 3 elevators in this side of the hotel surfaced his mind.  
  
Waves of guilt and parades of emotions pounded into his head, drumming and screeching in his ears. He sprinted up the stairs, each step only a second's delay. And he kept climbing, climbing, and climbing...  
  
He stood in front of his room, an ever so slightly shaking hand already halfway to the door knob. His eyes trained on the silver 1506 on the door, Kai breathed in an air of hesitation.  
  
He wasn't the least bit tired.  
  
Maybe because he was used to this sort of exercise - maybe he was just too preoccupied to notice. It just didn't matter right then.  
  
Twisting the knob with great apprehension, he slid into the room, letting his eyes adjust to the sudden change. The hallways were so bright and adorned with greatly elegant vases filled with summer blooms that the sudden lack of light made him blink rapidly.  
  
Ray wasn't here, he noted with a frown, but Kesumi was. She was perched on the windowsill, her eyes staring off into the distance; her lips quirked with a bemused smile.  
  
She hadn't heard him come in, that much was obvious, and he cleared his throat softly, watching her flinch out of her reverie. "K-Kai!"  
  
I promised. I'm sorry.  
  
He neared her, so apologetic, so guilty, so torn, so desperate, and so..scared. It was such an unfamiliar emotion in his mind that he had almost been shocked, but then again, shock wasn't a thing he was used to either.  
  
I'm sorry...  
  
"Kessy...I..."  
  
Kesumi's head snapped up, her eyes wide. "What did you just call me?"  
  
He hugged her tightly; afraid to let her go in case she disappeared right along with his sudden recollection of old memories. It was all coming back to him now; one by one, each vision more distinct and sure.  
  
Kesumi let out a shuddering sob, relief beyond words engulfed her, and all she could think of doing was to return the embrace with equal vigor. She wanted to tell him how much she had missed and searched for him, but she knew that he understood that already. He always understood her.  
  
Through her tears, she smiled: Tenchi, I found him. I found him!  
  
"I'm sorry Kesumi."  
  
"It's okay, Kai! You remember now, that's all that matters - "  
  
He cut her off as he slowly stepped back to be able to see her face, "My promise," pausing, Kai stared down at his hands and his bangs slid out in front of his face, obscuring it from view, "I broke it. I'm so sorry."  
  
Kesumi watched him, startled that he remembered. "You're right, Kai. You did break it, and you're going to have a lot of explaining to do...but for now, it's okay." She beamed and threw her arms around his shoulders again.  
  
"Did I mention that you grew too much? I can't even reach your shoulders anymore." Kai let out a relieved sigh, almost amused at the sound of her vexed tone.  
  
"Kai?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
Kesumi lifted her head and stared up at her brother, "I'm not mad, and you shouldn't be angry at yourself either. Because...you did keep your promise."  
  
He cocked his head, confused. Kesumi's grin never once faded as she solemnly placed her hand over her heart, "You were in here - the whole time."  
  
Kai smiled softly, shaking his head. "That doesn't count."  
  
"Yes it does. But...Kai?"  
  
He nodded for her to continue.  
  
"Promise that you'll never leave me alone again."  
  
"I promise." He said, "I promise."  
  
And this was one promise that he intended to keep.  
  
At all costs.  
  
~*~  
  
"I dunno, Kai and Kesumi are definitely not going to be talking any time soon." Kenny said grimly, burying his face into the pillow. "But it's not like we can go back on our request for her to stay with us.."  
  
The Blade Breakers (minus Kai) were assembled in the room Tyson, Kenny and Max shared, discussing the latest issue. "He seemed extremely...erm....angry. That's not a strong enough word to describe that expression on his face when he stormed out of our room, though. While Kesumi, she just looked miserable."  
  
"What do you think she said to him?"  
  
"No idea."  
  
Ray stood up abruptly, "Hey, where is Kai anyways? He's been out for a while now."  
  
"Let's see, what would Kai be doing? If he were a normal guy, then there would be a lot of guesses we may need to consider. But fortunately for us, he is a grumpy I have nothing better to do with my life, so leave me to train myself raw! He's probably out training. Where else would be?"  
  
Kenny smothered Tyson's unsuspecting face with a stray pillow. "Tyson! This is a serious situation here, could we be more sober, please?!"  
  
"Easy Kenny, calm down. I bet those two didn't even have dinner yet." Max added worriedly as Kenny went to retrieve the pillow he had thrown at Tyson.  
  
"Why don't we check your room to see if he's back?"  
  
"Uh oh." Ray grimaced, leaping toward the door with panic.  
  
"Ray, what's wrong?"  
  
"Kesumi. She in our room, and if Kai's in there.."  
  
"I don't hear any screaming yet, but there soon will be if we don't hurry. Come on, let's go!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Yes, Mistress Tenchi. The information found in our search confirmed your earlier suspicions. Not only that, but he's the leader of the international team, the Blade Breakers. They won the championships a few years back, taking the title from our very own Demolition Boys. Our - "  
  
"What do you mean a few years back? We lost to them only last year. And Kai wasn't in the Blade Breakers team until last month, right?..I mean I would've known - Tala would've told me if he saw Kai at the tournament.."  
  
"Mr. Hiwatari was on the team from the very beginning. And no, Miss, I'm not talking about last year. I'm talking about the tournament that we sponsored 3 years ago. You know, the one held in Europe?"  
  
"There was no tournament 3 years ago, Mr. Blithe! The international tournament committee couldn't find a suitable area so they merely skipped that year. I think you're talking about last year, we lost the championships to the Blade Breakers then." Tenchi gripped the phone tightly to her ears, feeling confused and indignant for it.  
  
"There was Miss. Don't you remember? The Blade Breakers are reigning champions for 3 years now, and our Demolition Boys a close 2nd, of course."  
  
"3 years?" She spluttered, "The Blade Breakers only began to enter international tournaments last year! Sure, they won that one, but there is now way...3 years?"  
  
The voice on the other end of the line seemed flabbergasted that she had not known, "Yes. I'm sure, Miss. I watched the tournament through the cameras myself. Why Master Balkov and the rest of the Demolition boys went head to head against those Blade Breakers. The Blade Breakers were only national champions then."  
  
Tenchi hid a rising gasp in her throat, swallowing desperately, only to find that her mouth had become very dry. "Spencer, Bryan, Ian? They bladed against the Blade Breakers? And Tala? 3 whole years ago?"  
  
"Yes, of course. Your brother saw Kai Hiwatari there also. Captains of the opposing teams are supposed to shake hands in the beginning of the tournament, as is tradition."  
  
She flung the phone back into its receiver, gasping and choking as she slid to the ground.  
  
How could Tala not tell me? How could I have missed something so important? Does this mean that I wasted all this time just looking for even the smallest glance of him when he was there within my reach, plain as day, just 3 years ago?  
  
It was impossible! How could she have missed such a big thing? Nothing short of the slightest experiments in the research room went without her notice and permission, yet how could something of this scale just slip through her fingers?  
  
She shook her head repeatedly, unable to believe it. "Tenchi, you okay?"  
  
Tala entered the room, watching her through concerned eyes.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me Tala?"  
  
Tenchi stared at him blankly, breathing in slow successions. "Why didn't you tell me!?"  
  
"What Tenchi? What - "  
  
His speech was cut off by an impenetrable silence, and he stared at his sister incredulously, feeling as if he had been slapped. What the heck was going on?  
  
When she spoke, her voice was a trembling whisper; she suddenly seemed so fragile. "Why didn't you tell me, Tala? We could've ended our longing and search for him years ago. Why didn't you tell me that you found Kai?"  
  
Hehehe! What a confusing chapter, don't you think? If you don't get what's going on - well, you'll be able to figure it out once you read the next chapters..but if you have some serious questions that need to be answered in order for you to continue without utter chaos, you can leave your question in your review. (I hardly ever check my e-mail so there's really no point if you send one. I don't think I even have my e-mail address in my bio...) Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter - thanks for reading. R/R!!!!! 


	9. Finding you

Hey, hey! I'm back with the ninth chapter. I'm updating faster than before, don't you think so??  
  
anonymous: *huggles anonymous reviewer* thank you so much for your reviews!  
  
Mizu: As always, a wonderful supporter! Thanks for being so positive. Anyways, can't wait to start on our fanfic!! I have a lot of ideas..lol! Make sure you leave me your e-mail address..I should have it somewhere already...but I think I kind of lost it! *sheepish*  
  
AznAngel: Oh yay! A new reader! Hope you enjoy this chapter..and sorry for the cliff-hanger! Aren't I evil???  
  
Miekkie: Aww don't hate me..hehe..I updated, see?  
  
Jessie: Wow, trembling with excitement? I didn't know that this was *that* exciting! Lol, thx.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 9: Finding you  
  
It was early dawn; the blotches of different shades were cast every which way, immersing everything in sight with melodic hues. The world, it seemed, was fixed in deep slumber still, yet it was apparent that one was not.  
  
Perching on a balcony railing was a lone figure, casting her gaze solemnly to the colouring sky. She was many feet above the ground, yet she was neither shaking nor whimpering, looking simply unfazed and tranquil. Her face was silhouetted and therefore undistinguishable, but her auburn hair was visible, shimmering under the sun's gentle rays.  
  
For a while there was not a sound, and time must have frozen in place, for only the subtle movements of the swaying branches and the occasional song of a stray bird could be heard or seen.  
  
A sudden shrill ringing of her alarm clock rang from within the room behind her that was only accessible through the ornate balcony doors that were left slightly ajar. She turned toward the sudden sound, relieving her face to the light, seemingly unperturbed by the disturbance.  
  
"7:00." She announced to no one in particular, realizing with hidden amazement that the sun had already risen without her distinct notice.  
  
She sighed wearily, gracefully jumping off the railing in an elegant arch in the air before landing firmly on the balcony floor, not looking at the least bit ruffled. "Morning, Tenchi."  
  
"Bryan." Tenchi smiled gently, watching as he sidled out through the door. "What are you doing up? I thought you slept late last night."  
  
He shrugged in his usual gruff fashion, tilting his chin in her direction. "What about you?"  
  
"Mm?"  
  
She walked with heavy feet back into the hotel suite, suppressing a yawn. Bryan patted her on the shoulder sympathetically, "Tired, huh? You could get some last minute sleep in."  
  
Tenchi refused, shaking her head dismissively, "I'm not tired at all. Really Bry." She hastened to add when he gave her one a sceptical look. "I'm going to go to the Stadium again."  
  
Bryan paused in the middle of pouring water into an empty cup, blinking rapidly, "Tournament's tomorrow, huh?" She made an effort to hide her smile, and settled for clearing her throat instead.  
  
"I think you guys had too much fun these days."  
  
Bryan raised an eyebrow with almost wry amusement, handing her the cup of water he had just filled. "We enjoy training, if that's what you mean."  
  
She shrugged, taking the cup gratefully, "Sure you guys train. But the rest of the day is spent fooling around Seoul, isn't it? I mean, how else would you almost forget that the tournament is tomorrow?"  
  
Leaning against the wall, Bryan laughed, idly fingering the beyblade in his pocket out of habit. "We gotta have some fun, don't we? Besides, this place is alive 24/7, and as long as I'm not sleeping.."  
  
Tenchi smiled widely, reaching for her coat on the rack, "I'm going to the stadium, you coming?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kesumi cleared her throat awkwardly as she took a sip of water, hiding her face into the cup. It was nerve racking to hear such silence, especially in a room inhabited by Tyson.  
  
The Blade Breakers and Kesumi were seated in the private dining hall reserved for them in the hotel, enjoying a light breakfast of soup and bread. It was unusual however, for the atmosphere to be so tense and quiet; the only noises made were the clinking of glass and utensils.  
  
It seemed that everyone was holding something back: Tyson in particular, was restraining himself from consuming his food with his usual gusto.  
  
He felt strangely strained to be eating food with such forced manners. It was important though, Kenny had warned, that they give Kesumi and Kai time to sort out their arguments from last night - or whatever else happened.  
  
When they had rushed upstairs, expecting to see a very livid Kai and a sobbing Kesumi, they were immensely aghast - there was no other word for their colossal shock - to find them asleep.  
  
But what was even 'weirder' was the fact that Kesumi was sleeping on Kai's bed, with their stoic captain leaning against the bed post by her side.  
  
Kai had not acknowledged them when the door had opened, and the Blade Breakers had assumed then, that he was either asleep or extremely angry and did not want to be disturbed. It didn't seem too much appealing to interrupt him at that moment, so Ray bunked with Kenny, Tyson and Max that night.  
  
The next morning, Kai was seen in the training room, as was expected, with Kesumi still tucked soundly in bed.  
  
They were confused and desperate to know what had transpired the night before, but were nowhere near confused or desperate enough to vex their captain. Tomorrow was tournament day, after all.  
  
Kesumi sighed dramatically, suddenly aware that her sigh seemed a lot louder than it should sound, feeling sheepish as all eyes turned to her. She breathed in deeply, might as well try to break the ice now that I've got their attention. "Um, good morning?"  
  
Okay, so that didn't come out as well as I'd wanted..  
  
As if her words had broken some invisible barrier, the boys responded immediately, engaging themselves with laughter and chatter as they did every day. "Morning!"  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"Hey, pass the rice, Max."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Kai was silent, and Kesumi poked him with her finger, "Why aren't you talking?"  
  
The room froze again. Max, in mid laughter clamped his mouth shut, Kenny stared wide eyed, Ray gulped loudly, and Tyson's fork which was halfway to his mouth, dropped to the table with a clatter.  
  
"What? What's going on?" Kesumi blinked with curiosity and surprise.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Right, um, nothing." They resumed their eating, avoiding each other's eyes as they did so. Kai raised an eyebrow; Kesumi scowled.  
  
What the heck?  
  
Still frowning, Kesumi started with her salad, poking the onions to the side of the dish with her fork, while she piled the things that she would actually eat into the middle.  
  
"Eat all of it."  
  
She pouted at her brother who watched her with heavy amusement. "You know I hate onions! Please, can I not eat them?"  
  
Kai shook his head, "Take some of it out then, but eat the rest."  
  
She smiled brightly, proceeding to extract the rest of the rest of the onions to the side.  
  
"Kessy, I said some of it."  
  
Before she could protest, she lifted her head from her plate, feeling many pairs of eyes on her. Kesumi frowned at the frozen group of boys - minus Kai - who were staring at them with mingled shock and disbelief.  
  
She snapped, "What now?"  
  
Ray cleared his throat, approaching the topic gently, "Well.yesterday..you know. Um we thought that you guys were um..mad and...mad at each other.the fight and stuff?" He reddened, knowing that he didn't make much sense.  
  
Kesumi shook her head, "What? Why would I be mad at Kai?"  
  
Tyson wailed, "You and Kai had that fight yesterday, remember?"  
  
"Huh? Oh...*that* fight.." She launched into her story. "It's quite interesting really. Okay so I was travelling around the world to find Kai - my long lost brother - and then I find him with you guys. He somehow forgot that I'm his sister and then we had an argument yesterday about that and then he falls to the floor - "  
  
"I did not fall on the floor!" Kai mumbled indignantly.  
  
"Right, you almost fell to the floor. Anyways, he fell to the floor outside the hotel and he suddenly remembered that I'm his sister. Then boom! Here we are!" Kesumi grinned widely, "Isn't it cool?"  
  
Ray, Max, Tyson and Kenny blanched; it was Tyson who voiced what all of them were thinking right at that moment, "I don't get it!"  
  
Kai smirked.  
  
~*~  
  
It was sometime later when Kai had freed himself and his sister from his bewildered team mates, taking the chance to give her - and himself - a quick tour of the Stadium. He hadn't been able to inspect as thoroughly as he would've liked on his last visit there.  
  
Through the front entrance, their guide took them around to see all the tournament arenas, making Kesumi gasp and marvel at the sheer size and elegance of the place.  
  
On the way to one particular arena, he saw a flash of red hair, making him do a double take. It was that girl! "Kesumi, you and the guide go off without me for a while, okay? I've got to check something."  
  
He sprinted off towards the disappearing figure, and almost as if she had sensed that she was being chased, she began to hasten her pace. Kai cursed, she was already far enough, did she have to make it so damn hard?  
  
That girl had been nagging at his mind ever since he had given her a first glance. The mere memory of her face kept teasing at a part of his past that he couldn't seem to decipher the meaning of. He had finally found Kesumi and was regaining some lost memories ever since, but it still seemed that there was too much of his life that he hadn't known. He felt so guilty for not remembering his own sister, and felt so tired of being unable to remember his own life. And his guilt, his weariness swallowed him whole.  
  
Kai had to figure out what was so *right* about this girl. He just felt it when their eyes had met, that feeling as if he had known her from somewhere.  
  
He shook his head, I could be just feeling like this because I'm so desperate for the truth now...maybe it's just the need to know about my past that is making me so irrational. Despite his doubt, he didn't stop running.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
She halted abruptly in front of him with her back turned, only 5 feet away.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He suddenly realized that he had no idea what to say to her. "You just..seemed familiar to me. Have we met?" Oh yes, a wonderful start to a conversation, Kai thought to himself dryly.  
  
But he felt distracted...her eyes, they were so...blue.  
  
"I - don't think so."  
  
She had a gentle musical voice; he had heard her voice in his memory before. He was so sure..  
  
"What's your name then?"  
  
She seemed to hesitate, "I'm..Cecile."  
  
Cecile? Kai frowned, that didn't seem right. It didn't *fit* her. He shook his head, maybe she wasn't....  
  
She walked away and he watched her go, feeling a sudden grief so great, that it made his mind contort in withering pain.  
  
Then as the girl rounded the corner, she turned back to give him an unreadable stare. He seemed suddenly struck by her eyes, and then, everything went black.  
  
~*~  
  
"Why Princess Cecile of the Skies! How wonderful of you to join me!" Kesumi giggled, "Please sit down and have your tea."  
  
Cecile sat down regally as she replied in a soft French accent, "Thank you for the invitation, Princess Nicolette of the Forests, and yes, I would do well with some tea."  
  
Tenchi stifled a laugh, determined to maintain a composed behaviour. She accepted a cup from Kesumi/Nicolette, brewing a cup full of tea in her imagination. "This is just wonderful, Princess Nicolette!"  
  
The girls burst out with giggles through a mouthful of water, alarming both Kai and Tala from their game of 'go fish'. "You two are going to choke on that water, you two are!" Tala raised an eyebrow as their giggling turned into laughter, turning to Kai in dismay.  
  
"They never listen to me."  
  
Kai grinned, "'S okay, Tala. Don't take it too personally."  
  
"So you two Princesses going to come and play go fish with us, or not?" Tala frowned, taking away their cups quickly in case they spilt water all over the carpet.  
  
"Go Fish? We princesses don't play such common games!" Kesumi thrust her chin into the air, dissolving into a fit of hysterical laughter. Tenchi sobered enough to say, "Maybe just one round."  
  
She extended her hand down to the younger girl, "Shall we, Princess Nicolette?"  
  
Kesumi grinned, "We shall, Princess Cecile."  
  
Kai and Tala rolled their eyes.  
  
~*~  
  
He breathed heavily, opening his eyes slowly to find everything swimming in his vision. He closed them quickly again, feeling the nausea build up in his chest.  
  
"Kai?" It was a girl's voice, so soft and musical.  
  
It wasn't Kesumi's, he thought abstractedly. His mind was in a mass of hazy mist still, and it impossible for him to think straight. "Tenchi...Tala..Kesumi..."  
  
He forced his eyes to open this time, and he blinked to clear the blurriness from his sight, thankful for the touch of cold cloth on his forehead.  
  
It was Tenchi. No, Cecile. *Cecile*. He struggled to sit up, but he was baffled to find that he couldn't.  
  
"No, please. Stay still."  
  
He looked at her, and while meaning to ask 'where am I', he said, "How'd you know my name?"  
  
She looked horrified for a brief second, but that expression passed by so quickly he almost missed it. "I - I saw you on television. In case you haven't noticed, you're a bit famous, you know."  
  
Tenchi - damn why the hell was he calling her Tenchi?! - Cecile avoided his gaze, continuing to dab his head with the damp cloth. "Right."  
  
He wanted to survey his surroundings, never feeling more vulnerable than at that moment, but his stomach was threatening to throw out his breakfast if he made even the slightest movement with his eyes. To his relief, she answered his unasked question, "You're in the Stadium's hospital. You fell unconscious...and kept muttering names."  
  
He frowned. I fell unconscious? How embarrassing.  
  
"Well not really unconscious, but you were really close to it."  
  
He expelled a secret breath. "What was I saying?" He had had one of those memory flashbacks from his past again, but he couldn't remember exactly...the details were so vague..  
  
"Names? Oh um..for your sister, Kesumi."  
  
"That's all?" Kai raised an eyebrow, he could've sworn that there were two more or so...  
  
She nodded firmly, and he let it go with reluctance, realizing for the first time since he had awoken that there was something soft and warm covering his hand. He looked down, finding her hand resting gently on top of his. He cleared his throat.  
  
Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she retracted her hand immediately, blushing so furiously that he would've almost smiled had it not been for the thumping pain in his head. Kai watched her with a bemused sort of look; her blush was so familiar.  
  
"Um I'll just be going now, since, you know...hope you get better soon."  
  
"Stay. Please. I just want a moment to talk, if that's okay." What the heck was he doing? He wasn't good with talking to people.  
  
But then...talking to her..it seemed natural..and different.  
  
Tenchi - damn it Kai, he growled inwardly, it's Cecile! - shuffled her feet hesitantly, pushing her stool as far away as possible from his bedside, nodding her consent. "Sure."  
  
"First, I wanted to ask you...how did you know that Kesumi was my sister?"  
  
~*~  
  
Hehehehe!!! Another weird chapter, no? In case you guys haven't noticed, the plot is only beginning to unfold so if you think that Kesumi finding her brother would be it, well..you have a whole lot more on your plate than you think! The next chapter is extremely important so I advise you guys not to simply skim through it. Besides, it's tournament day! Lol. Thanks for reading, R/R! 


	10. Solitary

Look at me, I'm on a roooollllll! Thank you guys so much for reviewing..wow! Turns out that this chapter doesn't have all that much importance to it as I originally planned for it to be, but the last part is fairly crucial...heh, you guys will find out when you read! ~  
  
Replies to reviews: *Hope I didn't forget anyone!!*  
  
anonymous: Such a faithful reader!! Thank you for your consistent reviews. ^ ^ Oh yeah, about the Kai finding about Tenchi and Tala thing...hm...I estimate the big revelation to be in a couple of chapters, I think. Not really sure as to how I'm going to lay out the story completely.....yet.  
  
Sighing Siren: Ooo I'm glad that you like Kesumi, she's rather a funny character, isn't she? Her attitude is a tad bit on the serious side in the beginning, but she'll turn out to be more of a 'happy happy' nothing like Kai sort of person. Lol..thx for reviewing!  
  
AznAngel: Lol! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.....  
  
Mizu: Thanks, I just thought it would be good to connect something with her past so that he might have a chance of remembering...but he didn't even after the flashback! Hehe  
  
Sakura: thx, thx!!  
  
Miekkie: Lol, I'm so glad that you like it!  
  
kai baby - girl: thanks for reviewing, hope you don't find this chapter confusing...^ ^  
  
Jessie: Hey! Did you really review the ninth chapter when you were at my house? Che! Who told you that you could go and hack into my computer, eh? Lol  
  
Illusion (who did not sign in): Thanks for reviewing, especially in chapter 1 and 9! *Laughs*  
  
To the reviewer who didn't leave a name: So sorry! I had to leave it there...hehe, but I updated now!! Hope that makes up for it ~  
  
AMsylva12: Wow...thank you! I'm just glad that you like it so much.  
  
lovely_angel: Thank you...!! You'll enjoy this chapter too, I hope.  
  
Thank you guys so much for reviewing! It means a lot to me!!! *Hugs reviewers* I put this chapter up as quickly as possible for you guys ~ I very much appreciate your comments.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 10: Solitary  
  
Tenchi gripped the edge of her seat with white fingers, masking her shock as best as she could. "I - Kesumi? When did I mention that she was your sister?"  
  
She panicked as she stood up abruptly from the stool, knocking it sideways and onto the white tiled floors with a clatter. Kai watched her carefully, an almost curious look in his eyes. "How did you know?" He repeated as if she had not spoken.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Tenchi snapped, and she headed quickly toward the door at a frantic pace.  
  
"Tenchi!" Kai shook his head, briefly confused, "I mean..."  
  
She whipped around, staring at him with unblinking blue eyes, and his feeling of familiarity of her mere image pulsed with renewed strength.  
  
"Cecile, I'm sorry..I just..."  
  
Tenchi tensed again; she closed her eyes tightly, feeling so foolish. But he had just called for her..he had said her name...she had to stay....  
  
No. She resolutely tightened her grip on herself, smoothing out her expression with firm determination. "Hope you get better soon." She whispered tightly, and then, she was gone.  
  
For hours afterwards, Kai lay still in his bed, feeling void and empty. At this rate, he mused idly, I'm going to remain a complete idiot who has no life before the age of 13. Of course Kesumi can fill me in, but there is only so much that she knows about. And then there is also the question of how I lost my memory in the first place...Kesumi already said that she didn't know herself..  
  
"Kai?!" He turned at the sound of his name, a shrill and anxious tone that undoubtedly belonged to his sister. Realizing that he had left Kesumi with the guide for what probably was 3 hours, he cursed himself, "Kessy? I'm so sorry - "  
  
"Are you okay? Where are you hurt? You're so pale!" He resisted the sudden urge to be amused, immediately guilty all over again at the sight of her stricken face.  
  
"I'm fine, really."  
  
She began to ramble nervously as the Blade Breakers hovered in the background, quite unsure of what to do.  
  
Kesumi breathed in deeply, eyeing her brother with a critical look, "You don't seem well, kind of white and tired. What *happened*?"  
  
He shrugged, stepping off the bed to be only forced back by his fierce looking sister, who seemed suddenly angry enough to blow steam through her nose. "Kai!!!"  
  
While his team mates coughed and backed further into the shadows, Kai appeared rather impassive, carefully drinking a cup of water that Kesumi had thrust into his hands. "I'll tell you later. Let's go back to the hotel, I'm fine now."  
  
At his firm tone, she reluctantly gave in, muttering darkly all the way outside of the stadium. "You have a tournament tomorrow, how could you get sick?"  
  
"I'm not sick." He retorted, glaring in every direction to fend off any help. The rest of his team mates and their chauffeur halted in their jump to help him into the limo. His guards froze in their positions as well, looking in the other direction as if to suggest that they hadn't even been thinking anything of the sort.  
  
He sat down by the window, remaining moody and silent the whole ride. Cecile kept submerging from his pool of thoughts, accompanied by the suspicious feeling that 'Cecile' really wasn't her name.  
  
"Kai? Come on, we're here."  
  
~*~  
  
By evening that day, Kesumi and Kai were on the headlines of every news broadcast, making Kai wonder how much more of his face he could stand.  
  
"Kesumi Hiwatari, long lost sister of Kai Hiwatari, the leader of the Blade Breakers who dominated the Beyblading world for the last 3 years, winner of the hottest male celebrity award for 2 years running and other numerous...."  
  
Kai swore under his breath, pressing the mute button on the television while the whole room exploded with laughter around him. Tyson snatched the remote from beside him and turned the television up to its highest volume.  
  
"She was sighted with Ray Kon, a member of the Blade Breakers team, and also the winner of the best smile award for 2003. It is rumoured that they could be more than just 'friends'..."  
  
It was Ray's turn to flush - not that Kai did in the first place - into a shade of tomato, which everyone found extremely hilarious.  
  
Kai frowned, "What do you mean you were 'sighted' with Ray?" He rounded up on his sister, "Well?"  
  
Kesumi blinked, poking her brother in the arm, "Remember when I first saw you in the courtyard? I met Ray there about an hour before you came. I guess somebody saw us then 'cause we were talking for quite a while."  
  
Kai's eyes narrowed, and Ray had the deepest yearning to sink into his seat. "Nothing happened, *really*." Kesumi giggled as rest of the room watched in interest for Kai's next reaction.  
  
He threw one last threatening look at Ray, and diverted his attention on something else, "And what the hell were they talking about? Winner of the what...?"  
  
"Hottest male celebrity?" Tyson supplied, smiling gleefully.  
  
"Like I ever got any of those awards."  
  
"That's because you threw them in the garbage can - " Kenny hastily covered Tyson's mouth with his hand when seeing Kai's glare intense.  
  
"Not a good day to make Kai mad, Tyson. Tomorrow's tournament day and we need all our members in perfect condition. Of course it turns out that we don't need to bey blade tomorrow because we're champions from last year - "  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE TO BEYBLADE TOMORROW?"  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow, "Tyson, we won the tournament last year, remember? That means we don't have to beyblade the first day - the first day is the qualification round..don't tell me you've forgotten."  
  
The younger teen stared blankly, "Ohhh yeah!" He paused to scratch the back of his sheepishly then frowned, "Then what's the point of keeping Kai in a good mood?"  
  
Kenny sighed, "Because Tyson, you know when they have tournaments, the media is there, right?"  
  
Tyson nodded, still befuddled.  
  
"Well, Kai will have to be in one hell of a good mood if we don't want him to go around strangling the camera men."  
  
Kesumi burst out laughing, "Kai would never do that! He wouldn't hurt a fly!"  
  
"Oh, you have no idea."  
  
~*~  
  
Tenchi yawned, thrusting her sore arms above her head, desperate to stretch her stiff limbs. Tala, too, stopped for a rest, pushing away random objects on the bed to make space for him to lie down. When this didn't prove to be the easiest thing to do, he gave up and plopped himself down on a pile of documents after a bit of shuffling to make the area reasonably comfortable.  
  
Tenchi cast him an amused glance, neatly organizing the files she had already gone through. "Find anything?"  
  
"Oh sure, I got progress reports of trainees and their individual stats alphabetized. Which one do you want first? What about the A's? B's? What about C's? Oh, oh! Even better, what bout the H's? There is nobody in our abbey with names that start with D, E, G, so I'm sorry, those aren't in the options. But," Tala paused dramatically, "I've got Z's."  
  
She raised an eyebrow, "Sarcastic, are we?" Tenchi threw him a yellow folder, "Since you obviously have the energy, I'll give you the honour of sorting through those."  
  
He gave her an irritated look, flicking through the papers tediously. He stopped suddenly and whined, "I thought we were taking a break!"  
  
"Did you? Wherever did you get that idea?"  
  
At his distressed expression, Tenchi relented, sitting gently on the edge of the bed in case she accidentally disturbed the mountainous pile of papers and documents that Tala had distractedly thrown around.  
  
Tenchi, feeling suddenly regretful, gave her brother a searching look to see if he was any angry with her for being upset with him the other day. "Tala?"  
  
Her brother smiled at her, "It's okay, I'm not angry. I understand why you were so mad, I would've been too, if I'd been fed such a shocking piece of information."  
  
She smiled meekly back, reaching around the pandemonium on the bed to hug her brother. "I just want you to know, Tala. I never did doubt you for a second. I was just frustrated and angry about what Blithe was telling me, that's all."  
  
Her brother stroked her hair gently, "I know, Tenchi, I know."  
  
Tala glanced ruefully at the mess they had made on the floor, bed and desk of his hotel suite, almost regretting his decision to have the documents sent over last night. Mr. Blithe, Tenchi's personal assistant in the lab, had delivered the record of events in the Abbey for the past 3 years for them to sort through for any clues of the mysterious tournaments - and Kai.  
  
Tenchi's assistant, of course, was instructed to be extremely careful when extracting these files from the Abbey in order for this 'search' to remain a secret. Tenchi didn't want Boris or anyone else knowing that she and Tala were suspicious just yet.  
  
When Mr. Blithe arrived with the requested information, Tala had had a near heart attack when he discovered the five suitcases full of documents and files. Tenchi, to his grave amazement, insisted on sorting through each and every one of them with scrutiny.  
  
So here they were now, (on their 2nd day of sorting through files) with not much progress from when they had first started. As if reading his very thoughts, Tenchi announced in a crisp voice, "Time to get back to work."  
  
Tala groaned loudly but obliged, albeit unwillingly, reaching for the folder he had discarded just seconds - or so it seemed - before.  
  
Before he even got chance to give the document a once over, Tenchi interrupted him again, "Tala! Look!!"  
  
She rushed over to the bedside with a stack of forcefully stapled paper, thrusting the paper in his face. His eyes skimmed through the contents briefly, his mouth gaping open. "What the heck is this? Isn't that - that's - that's Bryan!"  
  
"I know, look at this." She gestured toward Bryan's picture which was pasted in the very centre of the paper like a diagram, with arrows pointing at various parts of his head. Tenchi frowned, trying to decipher the labels. "Okkayyyy. What is this supposed to mean? This arrow's pointing at his right ear, do you see? It says 'stage 1'. What..?"  
  
Tala shook his head, "Are they running some sort of experiment on him?"  
  
"Seems like it...what's this? This is like a journal of the experiments or something..'December 9th, 2000. Bryan Curtis is progressing rapidly. We're currently feeding him hatred, and he seems to be taking it in well...'" Tenchi blew air through her teeth. Wonderful, she thought, just smashing.  
  
Tala thumbed through the next page, and scowled into the paper, "Spencer. They're doing the same thing to Spencer."  
  
Tenchi blinked, "No! Spencer too? Wait, the next one is Ian.."  
  
They shared alarmed looks, not at all eager to see who occupied the next page. 'December 12th, 2000. Tala Balkov. - Currently being tested under hatred. The specimen has not reacted well to this emotion, and is being programmed instead.'  
  
"Programmed? What did they do to me?"  
  
She shuddered, feeling as if she had walked into a waterfall. Tenchi stared at her brother with numb shock, her brain seemed strangely still also, unable to grasp and comprehend the facts as easily as they normally did. Tala suddenly tore away from her, nearly sprinting across to the other side of the room.  
  
"Tenchi, stay away from me. I could be dangerous."  
  
"Don't be silly." She hissed, advancing on him, "You were okay all these years. Did you even see the date on this thing? 3 years ago! You're fine..we'll figure it out."  
  
"No, stay away - " Her heart pounded wildly at his pained look, "Don't you dare come near me, you hear?"  
  
He rushed out of the room before she could say anything, leaving her alone with only the sound of her beating heart to steady her fears.  
  
~*~  
  
A short and very confusing chapter, yes. It didn't really make sense, did it? Hehehehe! (The last part, I mean, although I'm hoping it did...) Anyways, the next chapter is the tournament - I thought it would be in this chapter, but it isn't so I'll just add it into the next. - and I'll mention again that the Blade Breakers nor the Demolition Boys participate on the first day. But there will be...never mind..you guys will have to find out~ *winks* Review, please! And of course, as always, thanks a bunch for reading! 


	11. Letting Go

Helllllllllo! *ducks tomatoes* heh..heh..erm...I'm terribly sorry for the long delay, everyone! I've been thoroughly busy: what with school and all, and I know that it isn't much of an excuse to those of you who were waiting patiently for my update...but really, I wasn't procrastinating! I was also feverishly working on new fanfictions, and I must admit that I've been a tad bit too caught up with those to have much of a spare time for this one. But I'm continuing now, and that makes up for it, no? Heh..eh....  
  
Replies to Reviews:  
  
Mizu-Tenshi: I owe you an apology..I haven't been on fanfiction for MONTHS - or so it seems to me - and I haven't got the chance to read and review your stories! I promise, though, that I WILL catch up!!! Lol, and as always, thanks for your encouragement, and of course, for reading!  
  
kai baby-girl: I'm glad that you didn't find it confusing! Thanks for reading.  
  
Black Dranzer: Tala going crazy? Hmm....lol, I don't think he will. Well...you never know with me! Thx for the review!  
  
lovely_angel: Oh wow! Thank you for the compliment! Hehe, I'm sure you've read better though. I'm rather unhappy with this fic, and am probably going to rewrite it. But thank you for your kind words!  
  
Cleo: Thank you! *bows* I'm really happy to hear that you enjoy this so. And is Tala dangerous? Who knows?? *grins evilly*  
  
Illusion11: Thx for the review!  
  
Anonymous reviewer who never leaves a name: I really have to thank you again for continuing to read this fic! I updated now! Lol, so sorry for making you wait.  
  
anonymous: Yup! *laughs* Kai's hot; you have to give him that!! Lol  
  
whisper*2*imaginary: Hey you! I haven't read or reviewed your fics in a while, and I'm sorry! I haven't been on fanfiction for a long time.  
  
Jessie: Sorry, Jess~ for taking so long, that is! I updated now....keke  
  
I am sorry for keeping you guys waiting!! Here it is: the 11th chapter! Enjoy!!!~  
  
Chapter 11: Letting go  
  
What am I doing here? I should go...Tenchi swallowed softly as she stood with numb feet, unable to tear herself away. A deep pounding in her chest reasoned with her that being here was probably not good for her if she was to be caught.  
  
But she wouldn't be, of that she was sure - all that training at the Abbey wasn't going to waste, that was certain.  
  
Tenchi's brows furrowed with sudden exasperation: this is insane! I have to go find Tala and the rest of the guys, but instead, here I am in front of the hotel that Kai's staying in, muttering to myself! What has become of me?  
  
But what was the use in looking? Tala's gone, a sinister echo whispered in her head -they're all gone.  
  
A deep unsettling hollowness constricted itself at her throat, and she swallowed against the lump once more with desperation. After her brother had dashed out of the hotel suite, she had chased after him, but he was no where to be sighted. And when she had frantically tried Bryan's room in the search for help, it was empty also. So were Spencer's and Ian's.  
  
Then on their own accord, her feet had managed to bring her here - HERE of all places, making her wonder what she really expected out of this escapade. Maybe that Kai would miraculously remember her and all the memories that he had obviously lost or forgotten? That maybe she'd finally wake up and the last 4 years were just all a long dream concocted in her head and that Kai had never really gone?  
  
There's just so much mystery to this whole situation that she couldn't yet figure out, and the nagging feeling of her almost at the brink of an answer was pulsing.  
  
Yet it was way beyond her reach.  
  
She let out a frustrated sigh, "That's it! I should leave right now..."  
  
With silent feet she turned to make her exit through the garden, when a voice stopped her in mid-step.  
  
"Cecile?"  
  
*Remember, breathing is important* she thought fervently, thanking the Heavens for the darkness. Her eyes swept the courtyard of the hotel to find any means of another escape, and when finding none, she answered in the most composed voice she could muster, "Good evening, Kai."  
  
~*~  
  
"I don't...what are you saying, Tala?"  
  
Spencer narrowed his eyes in the dark in the hopes to see the captain's face, seeing only clouded emotions that he couldn't at all decipher, let alone understand.  
  
"Do you think that's why we don't remember things sometimes?"  
  
Tala turned his head sharply to the defeated whisper, a tone he recognized that wasn't so very familiarly used with the speaker. Ian continued, sadness greatly dampening his speech, "You know, like whenever this time of year came around, we would have absolutely no memory of what we did or where we were for weeks before that. We'd come home to the Abbey and Tenchi would be freaking out, wondering where we had gone."  
  
Ian faltered when the Tala flinched, sinking into a nearby bench. "Tenchi..."  
  
Bryan, who had not spoken a word since their captain had informed them about his recent discoveries, clasped his hand gently on the red head's shoulder. "Do you think Tenchi's right, guys? I mean it was 3 years ago...and besides the fact that we have no recollection about what we did or where we were sometimes, we haven't been showing any signs that we were affected by their experiment on us."  
  
The air was silent and tense around the four friends, and all of them fearful for their sake and Tenchi's. Tala broke it, later, with a whisper, "I will not risk her life for anything. I won't do it." He sighed, tossing his head back to stare at the sky. "I need to call her and tell her that we'll be alright. We should stay away from her though, because we don't really know what we're capable of. I know I might sound a bit too wary, but are you willing to risk the potential threat of hurting her unconsciously? She's our only family left you know..what with Kai and Kesumi gone."  
  
The 3 turned briskly away, and Spencer spoke rancorously, "Kai's a traitor. He left us. And Kesumi followed him. Hiwataris aren't to be trusted."  
  
"Don't say that!" Tala hissed, turning his fierce gaze on the other boy. Spencer almost winced: not because of the red head's glare, but because he had said such a thing about their best friend. How could he have said that about Kai?  
  
"Look, Spencer, I'm sorry - "  
  
"No, Tala. I shouldn't have said that..it just...I.."  
  
"They fed us anger and hate, remember?" Bryan cut in softly, "That's why we're always like this."  
  
Ian raised his eyebrows in question, "Always like what?"  
  
"Always so withdrawn and cold. But..Tala..what do they mean that you're programmed?"  
  
Tala sighed, "I don't know Bry, I just don't know."  
  
~*~  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Tenchi almost bit her tongue with irritation, cursing herself for lingering. "I...I wanted to see if you were okay."  
  
Kai walked toward her, using the glow of garden lamps to help him find his way. She was in a tank top and jeans, and to that his eyebrows rose, feeling a flash of concern: the evening had been cold. He shook his head briefly, "And you were hoping to see if I was okay by standing outside..?"  
  
He thought that her cheeks tinged with pink, but he could not be sure: damned the dark! "I didn't..know your suite number." Stop stuttering! Tenchi mentally slapped herself for being so ineloquent.  
  
His expression was unreadable, and she realized with distress that she was trapped. With careful and deliberately slow steps, he circled around her; it seemed as if he was inspecting her.  
  
He stopped just behind her, and she refused firmly at the urge to turn around to look at him. "Is that so?" Her heart quickened, feeling the trickle of his breath on her ear.  
  
I *can't* like him all over again. I *will NOT* fall for him twice.  
  
Swiftly she moved away, and swiftly he gained ground. "You're not really Cecile, are you?"  
  
Her eyes snapped toward his, and when their eyes met, she was herself no longer. All her years of training swirled down the drain, all of her cold defenses melted and as much as she grasped them, they were not at all tangible to her fingers.  
  
Maybe..I never stopped falling...  
  
"What..do you mean?"  
  
For a moment she thought his eyes had grown distant, and that he had almost lost all sense of that fact that she was in front of him in the first place. As much as her mind urged her to move, her feet were very much in tact to the ground.  
  
"Who are you, really? Tell me."  
  
Her senses roared to life as he came close, only mere inches away from her face. She held down a gasp as she tried desperately to evade his stare. "I'm.."  
  
Tell him.  
  
Yes...he was eventually going to find out anyways...it's inevitable.  
  
But then.....what if he wasn't meant to come back to her and Tala? She winced inwardly; the thought cut into her like a piece of broken glass, and the wound it left was agonizing.  
  
She forced herself to think on, despite the pain and the light headed feeling of him being so near her..If Kai wasn't meant to find her again, then maybe it was all for the best to let him continue with his new life. He found Kesumi now, and had wonderful friends. He was famous, wasn't he? He was rich; he had everything going for him.  
  
Maybe..it was all for the best for his sake. For him.  
  
What about you? What about Tala? What about Andrew? She closed her eyes against her own conscience.  
  
Smiling with sad determination, Tenchi straightened and stared at him with a gentle look of her own. And unconsciously her fingers reached forward to trace his face; with a touch that was merely a wisp of wind. His slate coloured bangs that reached over his face were rustling like curtains caught in a breeze, and his deep mahogany eyes bore deep into her very soul. The roundness of his face had chiseled off, and he looked like a child no longer..he was so..perfect.  
  
"I...have to let you go." She said, more to the wind and herself than anyone else. With that, she turned on her heel, leaving Kai to watch her disappearing figure against the fringed blackness of the night sky.  
  
~*~  
  
*Laughs manically* Finally! It's over~ *dances* Okay so this chapter wasn't as good as I'd want it to be, but hopefully it's not as bad as I thought it was when I proof read it. I'm not really sure when the next chapter will be up, but soon, (maybe) I should think. 


	12. Is this the end?

No preamble from me today! On with the story! Of course, after I've replied to all those nice reviews, that is:  
  
Mizu-Tenshi: Hi you! Yes, yes, it's been a while, (AGAIN, but that's not the point..) but I'm so busy, you know? Oh! I've got lots of our story planned out already, how about I e-mail them to you? Or you can..eh, I don't know. Anyways, I have a lot of catching up to do. You update so fast! Yay! That's good, you know? Unlike me! XP *hem.*  
  
kai baby-girl: Glad that you didn't find that chappie confusing! Thx for reading, and of course, reviewing also.  
  
kai-luva: Erm...sorry I didn't update the day after you reviewed! But, I will try and update at a more consistent pace from now on. But school's just so frustrating! I've got tons of exams and stuff...Thank you for reading!  
  
Jessie: *rolls eyes* you know how hectic my schedule is! Update now...psh! Lol~ thx for being such an avid reader, Jess!  
  
Illusion11: What's up with your name again? Why's the 11 added there now? Anyways..I'm not a torturer...right? It's not my fault if I can't update quickly. *grins innocently* And yes, I'm mad at Tenchi for not telling Kai too. Oh wait! I made her do that, didn't I???? *ducks tomatoes*  
  
Silvertiger88: Wonderful! A new reader ~ YAY ~ Thank you for your comment and for reading!  
  
Black Dranzer: Demolition Boys? I'll add more of them just for you, my friend! But not this chapter...I had it mostly typed up already when I uploaded the 11th chapter, but didn't go around to uploading it until..now. Lol. Thanks for your review!  
  
Carrie: Wow! A new reader! Great!! I converted you to liking Beyblade AND Kai? Thanks, really. That's a big accomplishment for an author. *bows*  
  
Chapter 12: Is this the end?  
  
Kai closed his eyes against the early morning breeze, and he breathed against the cold fingers that gently caressed his face. His serene expression and demeanor was but a shell to the tumult of emotions that churned inside him.  
  
He cursed, running his hand through his hair.  
  
"I..have to let you go." Her soft voice echoed in his mind for the umpteenth time that hour. And her touch...where her fingers barely whisked his face last night, burned with fire still.  
  
The heavy sadness that settled within his mind then was torturous, and he had to use all his will to keep himself from chasing after her. He didn't want her to leave. He didn't want her to go.  
  
His previous suspicions that she belonged in his past resurfaced once again, and no matter how many times he tried to deny it, it came back like a wave lapping hungrily against the shore. She knew him. And he knew her too. But why couldn't he remember?  
  
With his arm folded and resting on the thin railing of the balcony, Kai leaned forward to press his forehead on his arm. She was beautiful, yes, and he thought first that it was infatuation that brought her into his mind. But he knew that it wasn't so: he was never the one to linger on such a useless topic.  
  
There was some connection, something deeper than the physical pull and more of..the heart. She filled the empty hollow that plagued his mind for as long as he could recollect. Only she...and wasn't it funny? They had only met.  
  
Yet, it seemed as if he had known her for a lifetime.  
  
~*~  
  
Andrew paced impatiently in his hotel suite, unaware of the many pairs of eyes that followed his proceedings around the room. When was Tenchi coming to collect them for the tournament? He veered sharply to avoid collision with a cabinet and continued on his route in between the beds. The tournament started in 3 hours, he reasoned with himself, calm yourself!  
  
"Eh..buddy? Mind slowing down for a sec? We're kind of dizzy watching you pace like that."  
  
Andrew blinked, his eyes focusing. "What?"  
  
"You've been pacing for nearly 15 minutes." Carl raised an eyebrow in question, walking toward the stupefied boy to steer him in the direction of a bed. "Sit."  
  
Their captain nodded blankly and sat obediently as he was told.  
  
"So what's got you all worked up?"  
  
"It's only the international junior championship, Jordan." Andrew retorted sarcastically, gulping down a glass of lemonade. "We have to win this." He reached for the pitcher full of the sour drink and drew himself another glass. We HAVE to.  
  
"Um, you in there?" The boys shared bewildered looks as they watched Andrew's face harden. "We know we have to win, Andrew." Eric said reassuringly, "We WILL win - for Tenchi. She'll be so proud of us!"  
  
Andrew looked up, examining his teammates with a shrewd stare. "Yes." He confirmed softly, "We're going to do great."  
  
"So where is Tenchi anyways?"  
  
As if called by Carl's remark, their trainer appeared by the door, having silently entered during their conversation. "Ready boys?"  
  
"You bet! Andrew here was just being a soggy rag and trying to dampen our spirits! We've got the trophy already packed and shipping back home. No need to worry!"  
  
She smiled, and gestured for the boys to huddle closer. "Okay, so I'm not going to give you guys prep talk or anything like that: I'm sure Boris gave you enough of those already." She paused briefly, frowning with distaste. "But, I wanted to wish you all good luck. Don't forget what you learned over the passed few years. I have full confidence in you and your abilities - I just hope that you guys believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Have fun! That's what beyblading is all about."  
  
"Thanks, coach! You're the best." Jordan came forward for an embrace, and she gave it gladly.  
  
"Aww...you're not gonna start crying on us are you, Tench?" Carl teased, rolling his eyes as Eric too joined the cluster of wrapped arms.  
  
"Drop the tough act, Carl. Come over here and get it over with!"  
  
She beckoned for the boy to come closer, and he did, grudgingly. "Alright, alright. Just a tiny little hug - "  
  
Grinning, Jordan and Eric pulled Carl in between them, squishing him in the middle. "Hey! Now I can't get out."  
  
Tenchi laughed, ducking quickly to avoid Carl's flailing arms in his attempt to free himself from the group. Her gaze averted from the commotion at hand and to the background where Andrew sat, gazing at them with a smile. "Why so quiet, Andrew? Come on, join us!"  
  
No more prompting needed, Andrew slowly advanced his laughing teammates and trainer. His eyes jerked open widely as he was suddenly dragged under in a hug, and he halfheartedly swatted away Jordan's arm that reached for his.  
  
They cringed at the volume of Eric's sudden and loud exclamation that all of Korea doubtlessly heard:  
  
"WHOA! JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS HERE WE COME!!!"  
  
The room burst out into peals of fresh laughter, but they all agreed: they were coming, and the unsuspecting crowd at the tournament this year was going to have to watch out!  
  
~*~  
  
Tenchi lounged patiently in the private box, the seats in the stadium that allowed her to have a bird's eye view of everything that went on in the many arenas. Two of the walls that faced each other were showing battles from another arena in the stadium, and the one in the most northern direction was made entirely of glass. Through it, she could see her brother in his first match with the captain of another team...what were they called?  
  
Tala took the first round with ease before she could even breach the topic of the other team's name from the cluster of thoughts in her mind.  
  
It was the first glimpse of him and the rest of the Demolition boys that she had since the night before, and she drank in their sight with fervor.  
  
She was concerned, to say the least, and pained, after she had parted with Kai. But when she had seen the bright faces of her trainees in the morning, it had given her strength to at least remain standing and smile.  
  
Tala appeared to be in good condition, but he was strained, she could see. Bryan, Spencer, and Ian were pale, too. Tenchi tore her gaze away quickly, feeling the ache in her chest build to see such meek expressions on their faces.  
  
With a shuddering breath, she scanned the monitors for the junior's arenas, and was startled to see that Eric's beybattle was already starting. His stance was good, she noted, and his grip on the ripcord was firm. Tenchi relieved a passing smile, and when he took the round swiftly as well, she couldn't help but glow with pride.  
  
Something white flashed in the corner of her eye, and she turned toward the screen that had caught her attention. It was focusing on the VIP stands, where the Blade Breakers were waving benevolently to their fans - Tyson with more enthusiasm than the rest - but no surprises there: he was reputed for immensely enjoying attention.  
  
It was Kai's oh so famous scarf, she realized, that had made her turn. She sighed, and closed her eyes wearily. You are everywhere. Leave me be, Kai, I have already let go.  
  
A resounding cheer echoed in her ears, and she stared down at where the Demolition boys were shaking hands with the other team. Judging by the half smirk on Ian's face, they had won. Of course, she hadn't expected any less from them.  
  
Grinning also, she turned her attention to where Andrew was beyblading now, standing confidently by the dish. Tenchi turned away briefly, her smile turning bitter. Andrew is looking more like Kai as the day passes..or is it just me? The fire that burns in his eyes as he beyblades, the passion and power that flares from him like an aura...indeed, Andrew was just like his older brother.  
  
She leaned further in her chair, feeling weak and tired. Letting go was harder than she ever imagined it to be - especially since she *didn't want* to let go in the first place.  
  
~*~  
  
"The Qualification rounds was soooo boring!" Kesumi whined, happily jumping onto the curb where their limo awaited them. Lining the red carpet were camera men and photographers, hoping to glimpse the famous Blade Breakers and Demolition Boys.  
  
Fans were cheering and whistling as the cameras started clicking madly in their faces, and Ray, Max, Kenny, and Kai hid behind the bulky shadows of their security guards as they made for the limo. Kesumi and Tyson were waving and posing dramatically as they could in the sidelines.  
  
A fan that slipped passed the security came running toward them at full speed, in the hopes of getting an autograph from one of the celebrities before she got caught. Not seeing Kesumi until the last minute, she accidentally knocked her aside and onto the street.  
  
A loud honk bellowed in their ears as a truck came down the road. Kesumi stared, mouth agape as the heavy truck strained to pull to a stop in front of her. The brakes were grating against the ground, and sparks were hissing from the tires. She squeezed her eyes shut. ...oh...no...  
  
Suddenly she was being picked up and thrown, and once more did she land on the cold gravel. She winced, an angry gash appearing through the rip on her sleeve. What the...?  
  
Screams and cries finally registered themselves into her befuddled mind, and she looked up in confusion to see what the commotion was. The truck had stopped, and the front was covered with dark crimson stains - she clamped her mouth shut with her hands: was that blood?  
  
Heavy fumes and exhaust were being exhaled from the massive truck's engine, and it obscured her vision to the point where she could barely see. But through the thick rising gas, she could make out a limp body lying a few meters away from the truck; the same red stains marred his form as well. Kesumi choked suddenly on her breath, watching Ray, Max, Kenny, and Tyson bolt towards the crumpled figure. Is that..please...no...  
  
"KAI!"  
  
~*~  
  
Well..that's the end of the chapter, and I'm not sure when I'm planning to update next. I have most the next chapter typed up, but you know, I still need to edit it... yup yupz! Am I evil? It's not too much of a cliffie, is it? Lol! Read and review please - I'm keeping the next chapter as hostage!! *sticks out tongue* 


	13. Recollection

A/N: TA-DA! I'm back with the 13th chapter. I haven't updated in a LONG time, no? Hehe......*ahem* Terribly sorry! Originally, I had planned to have finished this fic by the end of the first season (of Beyblade), but we all know how that one went. So I've just decided to take my time to completing it. Of course, there is a whole bunch of things that I have yet to explain and to reveal in the story, believe it or not, the first 10 chapters or something like that was just the base for the plot. You can immediately tell that this is going to be a long story. So because of this, I have also decided – yes, I have been contemplating for a while – that I will try to wrap the story up quickly and cram it all in the next hmm.....5 chapters? It's still a VERY vague estimate. We'll see in soon.  
  
Replies to reviews:  
  
cosmos girl: Thanks for the review! Sorry it took me so long to update.....*sheepish*  
  
Carrie: *cringes* Sorry! I had to leave it there.....but I'm continuing!  
  
Storms-winter: Not to worry, I'm not going to kill off Kai! He's too hot to die, ne? Lol! Yay! I'm glad that you think that Tenchi and Kai seem perfect for each other! Anyways, you'll have to wait for the Kesumi and Kai meeting Andrew thing, but that's coming up soon. Thanks for reading!  
  
mezurashii: Sorry it took me a long time to update! Thank you for reading!  
  
anonymous: Sorry to end it there! Didn't mean to be cruel.....haha, here's the next chapter.  
  
pokeralice: Nope, Kai's not dead! Don't worry!  
  
Mizu-Tenshi: Hey you! I'm soooo sorry that I didn't go reading your stories! I haven't been on fanfiction for a LONG time! Hehe, as always, thanks for reviewing!  
  
past-away-whisper: Kai's okay, I swear! *hides from very irate girl*  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 13: Recollection  
  
"Kai . . . Kai . . . Kai. . ."  
  
A voice echoed softly in his ears, gentle and languid like the trickling water traveling down a stream. An unconscious smile tipped the corners of his lips; he recognized the voice: Tenchi.  
  
A shrouded figure entered his vision, and he strained his eyes to identify who it was. He shook his head – wait, there are two people now...........  
  
"Tenchi! Tala!"  
  
They turned to look at him, smiling brightly as they came forward to greet him. He waited. But they never seemed to get any closer. It seemed as if they were walking forward, yet their advance was actually taking them farther and farther away from him as if they were on some sort of treadmill.  
  
An expanse of stark whiteness suddenly blinded him, and he screamed as he blocked his eyes with his arms. Just as unexpectedly as it had come, the light faded quickly, and left him distraught and frantically looking for his friends.  
  
Instead, he found Kesumi in front of him, laughing and giggling over some untold joke, and beckoning him to come join her. With relief, he took a step forward, only to watch her disappear like mist confronted by the sun.  
  
"Kessy......."  
  
"I hate math, Tenchi!" He whirled around in the direction of the voice, finding a much younger version of Kesumi and Tenchi lying lazily on a bed.  
  
They immediately dissolved into the air as if nothing. Then Tala appeared, arguing playfully with....him. They both were younger also, like Tenchi and Kesumi had been in his vision – or whatever this was.  
  
"No way! MY attack ring is so much better than yours! See, mine's just perfectly balanced."  
  
"HA!" Tala scoffed disbelievingly.  
  
Kai continued to watch with fascination as he scrutinized his younger self. He never really remembered fully how he used to look like when he was younger......he grinned wryly; I can't believe I was ever that small.  
  
As he and Tala, too, disappeared, he exhaled deeply. Sadness heavily settled in the pit of his stomach like it had never before, and he closed his eyes tightly.  
  
He began to feel pain from his head, and he rubbed his temples absent- mindedly. His fingers came away bloody. Kai raised an eyebrow. Blood?  
  
Slowly, some sense started to filter into his numb mind, and he began to remember what had happened. There was a car coming down the road – the road which Kesumi was on......he had pushed her aside....and then.......  
  
Suddenly his memory shifted, and he could see the figure of Tala in the background with his hands shoved in his pockets. And wait – is that Bryan? There's Spencer and Ian! What....?  
  
World Tournament.  
  
Demolition Boys.  
  
He fell forward, his head cradled in his hands. The pain in his head began to intensify, and breathing became a struggle.  
  
Cecile.  
  
Why didn't I recognize them? What was wrong with me? Kai shook his head slowly, desperate to stop the pain.  
  
Why couldn't I recognize Tala? My best friend?  
  
Why did they leave me? Or did I leave them? I don't remember leaving the abbey. What happened? What........  
  
"Kai......Kai........"  
  
He lifted his head blearily, his eyes too clouded from the pain to see much ahead. But he made out Tenchi's face, and suddenly, the pain seem to fade into his head.  
  
He stared at her, and this time, she did approach and come closer.  
  
"Tenchi, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to – I don't know how I forgot ....I...."  
  
She silenced him gently, "It's okay. Don't worry, Kai, everything will be alright. Rest now."  
  
Succumbing to the lull of unconsciousness, he slipped away into blissful darkness. And what she told him, he believed, everything would be alright.  
  
~*~  
  
Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord!  
  
Kesumi paced up and down the hall of the hospital, biting her nails so often that they seemed to be constantly in her mouth. Her face was pale and her hair disheveled like there was no tomorrow, and frankly, she didn't give a damn!  
  
The door to the Emergency room was sealed shut and locked – that she found out on her numerous attempts to try and pry them open – and not a sound escaped from it.  
  
This is not happening, right? She chuckled nervously to herself; no it was NOT happening! She couldn't lose him – she just found him!  
  
Tala and Tenchi would kill me! I finally find my brother and BAM now I kill him! If I hadn't fallen onto that stupid excuse of a road, this WOULDN'T have happened!  
  
Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord!  
  
A comforting hand fell on her shoulders, and she yelped, cringing away from the touch.  
  
Registering Ray's face, she relaxed, feeling sheepish at the slightly hurt look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ray. I didn't mean to jump like that."  
  
"It's okay." He paused, "Don't worry too much Kesumi."  
  
Tyson nodded in agreement, and it striked her funny how it was the first time she had seen him pull on a grave face. "It was kinda scary how you chuckled to yourself like that earlier, Kesumi. I kind of thought you were going mental."  
  
Ray hushed him with a look, and he continued soothingly, "Kai is strong. You know that right? He's handled all sorts of situations before."  
  
Kesumi met his eyes, and nodded, "He did. More than you know."  
  
Hesitating briefly, Ray pulled her into a comforting hug. When Kesumi didn't draw back, he relaxed, gaining some comfort from her in return. "Kai's my best friend, you know. He and I have a lot in common in some ways, and the things that make us different allows us to help each other. We might not act it, but there's a subtle connection."  
  
She nodded into his shirt, "I've noticed."  
  
"You have?"  
  
"Yup. Kai's more open to you than to everyone else."  
  
Ray shook his head, "How can you tell the difference?"  
  
"You've got to *really* know him. Kai's always had been impossible to read – but he's changed from the time he lived at the abbey with me."  
  
Intrigued, Ray pulled away slightly to look at her face. "Was he different then? Kai was so unapproachable and cold ever since we knew him, and it took us all a while to actually figure out that underneath the impossible exterior, there's a good person there. I can't imagine him not having that reserved kind of personality!"  
  
Kesumi giggled, "Noooo, he was the best older brother you could ever wish for! He was funny and always full of laughter......but then......ever since he left the abbey and we lost communication with him, he......"  
  
Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he gently prompted, "What is it, Kesumi?"  
  
"Ah...." She trailed off. Sighing, she looked up at him with wide eyes, and he could see in them a whole pool of fear and worry this whole accident had caused.  
  
"Tell me about it later then.....you seem to be rather distraught right now.....what with Kai......." He stopped himself.  
  
"No. It's just......you know how I told you guys that Kai didn't remember me? That, you know, he forgot me? I wasn't joking. In fact, he forgot his whole child hood. All the times that we spent together in the abbey – he forgot it all. He even forgot *about* the abbey, until a couple of years back when he told me that you guys entered the World Championships for the first time. But the thing is, we don't know how he forgot. He just did."  
  
"How......Wha?"  
  
Kesumi gave a frustrated sigh, "I don't know. I haven't been to call Tenchi or Tala yet....." At his confused expression, she elaborated, "Tala and Tenchi are Kai's best friends at the abbey. Kai even forgot them.....I don't know how....."  
  
"Tala? Balkov, Tala? Kesumi, he's – "  
  
"Kesumi?!"  
  
Turning quickly in the direction of the voices, Kesumi drew back jerkily from Ray at the sight of the figure just standing at the end of the hallway.  
  
"TENCHI!"  
  
~*~  
  
Finally that one's done! Okay, so I hope to be updating the next chapter soon because this one was a bit too short, I think.....anyways, please *read and review ~ thx a bunch! 


	14. IMPORTANT!

VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE READ

Hello everyone

Wow…it really HAS been a while since I've updated --. I thought everyone forgot about my story (I, personally, might have forgotten about its existence temporarily as well), until a review sent to my e-mail box reminded me of it. In short, I'm terribly sorry for making you guys wait like that. I hate not finishing what I've started, and hate shirking my responsibilities even more. However, under such circumstances, there is a high chance that I will be pulling off this story from fanfiction permanently.

Such circumstances include, firstly and most prominently, school. The homework load that I have strewn across my shoulders is just ridiculous.

Another reason why I may not be able to continue is that I haven't been keeping up with any of the Beyblade episodes since. . . well, let's just say it's been over a year. My interest in this anime has dwindled, as well as my limited leisure time kept and continues to keep me clueless to the events of Beyblade. Therefore, if my readers are willing to excuse my ignorance of the current happenings of this anime, and allow me to basically weave my own plot without any ties to the original series on television, I may be able to consider picking up where I left off. But then again, that won't be for another month. sigh In any case, if you still remember this story, wish for it to continue, and wouldn't mind how unrelated it seems to the anime series, please leave a review in one form or another.

Even if one reader wishes for me to continue, I will try my very best to comply.

Thank you for reading

P.S. To Blue Raven, my latest reviewer:

I can't believe that someone would find my story more than a year since I have updated, and show so much interest in me continuing with it. Thank you for being so supportive, and just know that it was because of you I had finally been reminded that I had a story to finish!


	15. Where do we go from here?

Hem Hello….waves tentatively So it's been a while, huh? Yes, I realize that it has been over a year since my last update! O Much regret and apologetic thoughts running through my head just now, I assure you. Anyways….GOOD NEWS (for me, that is XD): school is OUT! I just had my last exam, and as of now, I am FREE…relatively speaking, that is. In any case, here's the looooooooong-awaited chapter! I really don't know if I did all the wait you guys have been doing any justice. I've been trying to get my groove back, so to speak, and get a feeling of how I wanted this story to flow. It's hard, to say the least – it's been a while. Hence, is explained the reason why I used this chapter to kind of familiarize myself with the story. I hope it doesn't disappoint too much. Happy reading!

By the way…I've been doing some reading recently – going over my work, etc. Let's just say that I found myself banging my head on my wall halfway through the first chapter. This story, I must say, was excruciatingly painful to read. On that account, I have taken it upon myself to fully declare war. What war, you ask? Why, against this story, of course. Major editing is required, and will be applied accordingly – and liberally, if I have anything to say about it (which, I do grins cheekily). Soon. Uhh…that is, when I get around to it….or rather, when my summer school ends. Right, that's it. Ugh.

Chapter 14: Where do we go from here. . . ?

". . . But he didn't remember me. It wasn't the fact that I had travelled across Europe and Korea to find him. It wasn't the fact that it took me so long, either. It was just that he couldn't recognize me – that, when he saw me, he saw a stranger. That was the reason for my real fear."

Kesumi blinked as she fell into a contemplative silence, the rest of her speech ebbing away under her breath.

She turned her head towards her friend, searching the older girl's expressionless face with an inexplicable feeling swelling in her chest. "I . . .was really scared, Tenchi." She uttered once more, a tear leaking from her eyes.

Tenchi turned her piercing blue gaze towards her, and they softened at the sight of her teary face. She opened her arms, and Kesumi willingly fell into them.

A sob wrenched from her throat, and Kesumi struggled to remain afloat.

But it was always easier to drown.

Evening had settled over the garden extending from the wide glassy entrance of the hospital. The bench on which the two girls occupied was shadowed by the gracefully arching arm of a particular tree. It was to that tree Tenchi's eyes were fixed, and she drew strength from its firm solidity as Kesumi steeled herself from hers.

She opened her mouth to comfort Kesumi, a friend so close that she was no different from her sister, but words that seemed almost gruesomely unfit in this situation were the only ones available to her grasping mind.

A weak sigh escaped from her soft lips; they almost trembled under the weight of the words she managed to pull from herself, "Do you know, Kessy, how much you mean to Kai? He wouldn't leave you. Trust me on that, k?"

Kesumi made no move to respond, but when she finally pulled away, Tenchi caught the look in the younger girl's eyes and knew that she understood.

"C'mon, let's go see how Kai's holding up." Tenchi offered Kesumi a smile, one so blinding in genuine sincerity that the previously crying girl was hard-pressed not to return it.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Oh good, Kesumi, you're back. . .The doctor was out just now, and he was giving us updates on Kai's condition. . . err in Korean. Eh, but from my recently honed skills regarding the Korean language, it's obvious that –"

"_What _honed skills, Tyson?" Kenny interjected, wearily passing a hand over his face.

"That is – "

Ray, predicting an imminent quarrel, spoke expeditiously.

"Kai's okay – our translator was called in a while ago. In any case, the surgery was successful, and all he really needs is stability and prolonged rest."

Kesumi heaved a sigh of relief, and turned to Tenchi with sparkling eyes. "He's really okay, Tenchi. He's okay."

The older girl tipped her head in a gesture of understanding, a decisively impassive line in her expression. But as Kesumi glanced into the eyes of the other girl, she felt more than she could visibly conclude that Tenchi's initial fears and concern were gradually abating as well.

"Um, Tenchi Balkov, was it?"

Ray's soft inquiry broke through everyone's sudden immersion into silent reverie; the addressed female shifted her smouldering blue eyes toward the speaker.

"Yes."

"Whoa, no way! You're the internationally acclaimed female blader, aren't you!"

Kenny opened his mouth to restrain Tyson once again, but Tenchi's amused grin mollified his embarrassment for his friend's behaviour.

"I am."

"Hmm, one to two worded answers. . . . are you related to Kai, by the way?"

This time Max stepped forward, pinching Tyson as surreptitiously as possible. "Heh, it's a pleasure to meet you. We've watched you in action many times, and I must say that you're brilliant."

Tenchi inclined her chin graciously, a ghost of a smile touching her eyes.

" Ugh. What's up with all this formality, you guys? We're all about the same age. In fact, Ray is one year older than Tenchi!"

"Hm anyways," Kesumi ploughed on, oblivious to the fact that her comment had only produced an accretion in the level of awkwardness in the air, "I'm so tired. Let's sit down or something."

The group made to move into the sitting area, but Tenchi's soft decline stilled them once more.

"Sorry, Kessy, I have to go. But I'll keep in touch."

"Wait! Aren't you going to see Kai before you go?"

Something in Tenchi's eyes flickered, their colour at present a silvery blue. "Take care, Kessy."

And before any of them could form another response to hold her back, Tenchi had disappeared from sight, her smooth, even steps no more than an inaudible echo in her wake.

* * *

"Doctor Kim," Tenchi called, increasing her pace only mildly to station herself within conversing distance with the man in question.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

She replied in fluent Korean, "It's about Kai Hiwatari, the patient that you're in charge of, if I'm correct in assuming?"

"Ah yes, Mr. Hiwatari. Have you familial relations with him?"

She paused hesitantly before resuming coolly, "Yes. Would it be at all possible for me to see him at this moment?"

"His condition is stable enough for visitors; however, he is still unconscious. In any case, we would need to know specifically how you're related to the patient before visitor permission is granted. His physical state is still very frail."

He gave her a measured look, glancing at her face over the tips of his glasses.

"I am. . . his. .. girlfriend." She spoke curtly, an unbidden blush threatening to rage against her cheeks.

"His girlfriend." Doctor Kim reiterated; it was impossible to tell whether or not he had believed her. In fact, Tenchi was almost sure he was going to turn her down as politely as possible until he opened his mouth again.

"Very well. But there is to be only one person in his vicinity at a time. Please make sure that you are the sole occupant in the room other than him, obviously."

There must have been something terribly desperate and sincere in her eyes, because the doctor acquiesced to her request with only a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Miss. . . . "

"Balkov," she supplied gratefully.

"Yes, Miss Balkov. I would like to press upon you once more the importance of stabilizing his condition at the moment. And because it is patently obvious that your affection for him is genuine, I leave him in your care, albeit temporarily, for I know he would be in good hands."

An emotion that she hadn't felt in such a long time clogged up her throat, and digesting the unexpected ambivalence of her feelings from calm to frenetic was impossible.

She hadn't been susceptible to such fluctuation of emotions since . . . .since Kai had left the Abbey all those years back.

So she bowed in the custom that was both Korean and Japanese, knowing that the prudent Doctor had already understood.

Tenchi turned down the hallway, walking aimlessly until she finally realized that she had forgotten to confirm which ward Kai was in. On top of that, the hospital was so damn big that it was more of a maze than a hospital.

In effect, she was lost.

She cursed herself briefly, wondering what in the world was going on with her normally meticulous mental facilities.

A quick dig in her left pocket resulted in the discovery of her cell phone, and she quickly flipped it open. "Ryu? I'm at Seoul Hospital right now. Locate the ward number in which I can find Kai Hiwatari…yes, he's a patient here. He was recently admitted for having been involved in a car accident. By the way, Kai's going to have his security guards prohibiting entrance to unwanted visitors. Detain them for me, would you? I'll let you know when they can be brought back. Mm. Thanks."

She flipped her phone shut, made a note to give her assistant a raise and strode off in the direction Ryu had described.

* * *

He lay there, living.

And he tried blearily to recollect shards of memories that were fleeing from his grasp.

There was a car accident, and there was Tenchi. And Tala had been the driver of the truck that had run him over. Kesumi was sobbing in a corner of the dungeon, and he couldn't make her stop crying

Tenchi's eyes were piercing though him, witnessing his fall, watching the blood drip from his head, and glancing at Tala who was still motionless behind the wheel of the truck.

No, he thought.

That wasn't right.

There was no one named Tenchi standing on the curb of the road.

The driver of the truck wasn't Tala.

And there was no dungeon with a weeping Kesumi.

There was only silence and the cool breath of the humidifier at his bangs.

I'm in the hospital, he thought wryly, _again._ This time, however, he was attired in the whole patient wardrobe with bandages to boot.

Eyes still closed, he assessed the damage that had been inflicted on him, the way he had been trained to do after each session in the dungeon with Boris.

Judging by the tightness of his torso, bicep and left leg, he must have acquired gashes there; the heaviness in which the air seeped into his lungs spoke volumes of the impact to his chest, and the throbbing headache told him that it had been his head that had taken the brunt of his fall.

He ruthlessly quelled a crescendo of rising panic in his chest: what if he forgot what little memories he had remembered again? What if he forgot Kesumi and Tenchi and Tala all over again?

His clenched fist went lax at his side as he was deluged with an overwhelming sense of confusion. Ten. . . chi?

Then who was Cecile?

Why did two names resurface only one face?

Why did he see only one pair of scintillating blue eyes?

And then he understood. Tenchi. She was his best friend's younger sister.

She was what his grandfather always failed to view as anything other than his primary distraction. And for that, his grandfather almost. . . an acrimonious grin tipped his lips. . . why the old man almost _feared _her.

Because, he concluded, his eyelids still sheltering the wealth of emotions that one might have been able to decode from his usually guarded gaze, she was something to him that no seasoned killer should have.

And a killer he was. That's what he had been trained for all his life: a stoic, impenetrable, invincible leader, whether in the blading ring or in the battlefield.

He _remembered _now.

His bitter smile turned empty, and his lips once again went slack with indifference.

Kai Hiwatari. Assassin. Potentate. Biovolt's secret weapon.

And Tenchi Balkov, the paragon of life and purity that he would never discover in the darkness that he was destined to be shrouded in.

She was the Tenchi Balkov, who would pull him out of the darkness that was his fate.

Or at least, she would have been. But his grandfather took more measures to see that she wasn't.

And for the first time since his childhood days that he was only just beginning to put back together piece by piece, he felt a terrible sadness that festered in the depth of his. . . of somewhere in the middle of his chest. . . that might even be called his heart.

Because he knew now what his grandfather knew all along. He had been disillusioned to think that he won the battle. That he came out of victor by turning his back on his grandfather and joining the Blade Breakers.

But he was wrong.

His grandfather had won, and devastatingly too.

The old bastard had succeeded in ridding him of his "distraction" all too well.

* * *

She had stood outside the door, motionless and silent. Her fingers trembled on the knob of the door, but they wouldn't do the gripping that she kept urging them to do.

So she stared, obscure eyes sweeping up and down the length of the door as if following the trek of a spider crawling against its surface.

But there were no spiders here. There were no flies, and certainly no other insects to occupy her unseeing eyes.

There was just the pristine material of the glossy hospital door – the door which hid Kai from her view.

She ran a slender hand through her hair and licked her lips almost nervously.

Truth be told, she was terrified.

Petrified to see the injuries on his person, and even more disturbed by the feelings that the sight would provoke in her, she adjusted her shaking hand on the door knob once more.

Her eyes fluttered briefly closed and with a deep, timorous inhale, she stepped into the room.

As expected, he was asleep.

And with a soft exhale, she inched forward, her eyes taking conscientious note of all of his wounds without preamble. Her lips parted unconsciously as she ran her shrewd gaze on him.

Almost to the point of being mummified, his torso was swathed in thick bandages so that, even though he was technically shirtless, there was not at all an indecent amount of skin showing.

On the whole, she concluded, he was as best as he could be with all things considered; that is, if one didn't take into account his head injury. Her eyes lingered fitfully at his temple where even now there seemed to be blood pooling against the newly wrapped gauze.

A sudden horror filled her when she realized that she had forgotten something, once again. But this wasn't some minor blunder, she brooded, irritated with herself.

She had yet to interrogate the doctor for a comprehensive overview of his current condition.

_What if_, she swallowed, what _if the accident tampered with his memory again?_ _How would Kesumi handle being forgotten a second time?_

_Think later_, she frowned, _actually, let's just not think. Period. _

A thorough raking of her lower lip later, she purchased enough sense from the corner of her mind that was still functioning to lock the door behind her and observe his injuries at a closer proximity.

He was unconscious for kami's sake, what the hell was she afraid of?

"Kai," she began, her voice brimming with emotion.

"Kai."

"_Kai_."

She realized with astonishment that her cheeks were wet and mused ridiculously that there must have been a hole in the ceiling. . .was it even raining outside? She absorbed the moisture with her hands impatiently.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to call you name like that. It's always been this way for me."

Tenchi hesitated; she was practically leaning over him now.

He was so close.

With fingers still tipped in her tears, she pressed her hands against his face ever so gently.

"Back then, when we were little. . . I knew that you saw me merely as your best friend's younger sister, and so you cared for me in your own way. But the way that I wanted you to see me was not the way you saw Kessy, do you know what I mean? I was so young then, and surely you must've seen through my naive crush on you. Honestly, a part of me actually wanted you to notice me. . . but you didn't. You never even looked my way once."

Her finger continued to draw tender circles against his cheek.

"And now, nothing's changed, because not only do you fail to notice me, you've eradicated me from your memory. I'm nothing to you now. But Kai, I want you to know that. . . . to me, you're always going to mean something."

A silent sob broke out through her slightly parted lips, and her fingers clenched where they rested on his chest.

"This is goodbye, Hiwatari. I want you to promise me that you and Kesumi will be happy. Purge all memories of the Abbey, of Biovolt, of Tala, of me. . .forever. That's the only way that you can be fully happy without your haunting past hanging on your conscience."

She gave his dormant face a watery smile.

"Don't you dare remember me, Kai Hiwatari. And it's really okay because I. . ." her voice died momentarily in her throat, but she was desperate to say this one last thing to him. Forcing the lump down her throat, she articulated again, "Because I'll always remember you."

Her hand slipped off his chest as she turned to exit his room and his life permanently, and would have, had Kai's firm hand around her wrist not halted her.

"_Don't." _He said softly, "_don't _go."

* * *

Muahahahahahahahahha FINISHED chapter 14. Aren't you all proud of me? I have produced a chapter farrrr longer than any of my previous instalments XD. In any case, I hope that that was satisfactory and that if not the contents then the length compensated for the long wait I have subjected all of you guys to! TT;; Thank you for sticking with me all this time. 


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